Decreso Aetas
by Haunted Emerald Depths
Summary: COMPLETE. An accident occurs in Charms that leaves Draco looking after a...slightly different Harry. How will they live through it, and how do others take the change? What will happen when Draco begins thinking of Harry differently? Spoilers. DMHP SLASH.
1. And so it begins

Hi, everyone! This is my first ever fanfic, so I'm sorry if it's not what it seems...I need a beta reader to help with editing. I did the best I could on this chapter, though.

The rating will be PG-13 just for safety purposes...I'm also not very sure how often I will be able to update. It all depends on school, writer's block, computer trouble, or just plain laziness. XD

**Summary:** An accident occurs in Charms class that leaves Draco looking after a...slightly different Harry...How will they live through it, and how do others take the change? D/H slash

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 1:** And so it begins...

"Oh, come on, Ron! It's our first day back!" Harry shouted at the unconscious lump that was his best friend. He prodded Ron in the side, but the redhead only mumbled something about pushing Malfoy off of a glacier. Harry shook his head, smiling at the fact that that certain thought never left Ron's head since the beginning of their fourth year. He sat thoughtfully at the end of Ron's bed. With a broad grin on his face, Harry tried a different approach.

"Don't you want breakfast?"

At those last words, Ron sat up quickly, the sheet sliding off of his head to reveal fiery red hair. "I'll be down in a minute," he said groggily. Harry laughed as he left Ron to get dressed, thinking it's funny how even the mention of a meal will make him come out of the unconscious state he called sleeping.

Hermione was waiting at the bottom of the boys' staircase, tapping her foot impatiently. "Oh, for goodness sake!" she said, laughing. "You're worse than a girl when it comes to getting ready in the morning!"

Harry rolled his eyes at her and pointed up the staircase. "Don't look at me!" he said. "Say that to Sleeping Beauty when he comes down."

"Who's Sleeping Beauty?" came a voice from behind them. Harry and Hermione turned to see Ron, sleepy-eyed and yawning. They both laughed.

"Just a Muggle fairytale, Ron," Hermione explained. "It's about a **--**"

"No time to explain! It's breakfast time!" Ron shouted, receiving a few nervous glances from a group of first years that were sitting near the fireplace. He set off at a jog toward the portrait hole.

"Honestly," Hermione said quietly before following him out of the common room. Harry didn't even bother running after them. Instead, he took his time walking along the corridors. He looked at the portraits hanging on the stone walls, containing an assortment of moving witches, wizards, and magical creatures.

_I can't believe this is my last year here,_ Harry thought, smiling slightly as he passed a portrait of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, both facing opposite directions with their arms folded and scowling.

Harry finally made it to the entrance hall. It was fairly empty and the Great Hall seemed pretty quiet, except for the low rumble of voices that emerged from it. _I hope I don't end up being late to my first class **--** Pray to God it's not double Potions,_ he thought miserably.

Before Harry could walk into the Great Hall, he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks, one that he knew all too well.

"So, Potter, looking forward to your last year in this place? Upset you'll no longer have a fan club following you when **--** no **--** _if_ you graduate?" the person drawled loudly.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Harry said through clenched teeth, his breath quickening in anger. "Are you upset that you won't have your morons to protect you when your daddy can't? Oh, wait, I forgot. He won't be able to anyway because he's locked up. _Again_."

It had become a known fact that after the Final Battle and the defeat of Lord Voldemort last summer, all of the Death Eaters were caught and given a life sentence in Azkaban Prison.

Harry turned around to watch Draco's reaction. It was exactly what he thought it would be.

Harry knew he touched a nerve because a muscle was working in Draco's jaw. A red tinge was appearing in his pale cheeks and his platinum blonde hair was falling out of place because he was shaking in anger. "You leave him out of this, Potter," he spat, his voice growing deathly quiet with each word as he stepped toward Harry and grabbed him by the collar of his robes. His bluish-silver eyes were narrowed into a deathly glare. "At least I _have_ a father." He let go of Harry and pushed past him into the Great Hall, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle who grunted menacingly at the Gryffindor. Harry stood there for a moment, glaring at Draco's retreating back. When his breathing returned to normal, he stormed inside toward the Gryffindor table and slumped onto the bench across from Ron and Hermione.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked as she raised an eyebrow in question. Harry shook his head as he rested his forehead on the table.

"Let's just say I came across a certain git who resembles a bloody ferret," Harry mumbled, scowling at his shoes. He received a muffled laugh from Ron, whose mouth was stuffed with toast. Hermione just rolled her eyes at Harry and smiled.

"Oh, gweat," Ron said, looking toward the teachers' table. "'Ere comes McGonagall wif our timetables." Harry looked up quickly.

"Ron, swallow your food before you talk!" Hermione shouted at him, looking disgusted as she brushed a piece of chewed up toast off of her arm.

"Sowwy 'er-my-knee," Ron said before swallowing his toast. She playfully punched him in the arm. Ron's cheeks darkened a little as he raised an eyebrow at her. Harry rolled his eyes at the pair of them.

"Why don't you two go find a quiet corner and snog already," he said, laughing as both of their eyes widened. Dean and Seamus, who were sitting near them, snickered quietly.

Before either of them could say anything in return or reach over the table and strangle him, Professor McGonagall appeared behind them with their timetables at hand. Harry reached over for his so fast he knocked over his goblet of orange juice. "Oh, bloody hell," he swore under his breath.

"Mr. Potter! Watch your mouth!" she shouted at him before moving on to the Ravenclaw table. Harry's cheeks turned a bright red as he cleaned up his mess. Hermione snickered quietly. Ron, who had been shaking with silent laughter, took a large mouthful of orange juice and picked up his timetable. A moment later found the redhead with his mouth hanging open as he shouted "Bloody hell!" and Harry across the table dripping with orange juice.

"Ron!" Harry shouted, glaring at the other boy through his dripping fringe and spotted glasses. Not feeling very hungry anymore, he pushed away his plate of dampened food.

"Mr. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall shrieked from across the Great Hall. Quiet snickers rose from all four tables, though a little more loudly from the Slytherins.

"Nice going, Weasley," Seamus said proudly, patting Ron on the back as he turned a dark shade of red. He then turned toward Harry. "Sorry about that, mate," he said quietly, handing him a napkin. Harry stuck his tongue out at him before taking it and wiping off his robes.

"That look suits you well, Potter," a voice said from behind Harry, who whirled around quickly. He ended up falling backwards into the person, sending them both to the floor.

"Bloody hell, Potter!" Draco yelled as he hit the stone floor.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall shouted from the teachers' table. Draco shoved Harry off of his legs and stood up, looking disgusted. Hermione appeared by Harry and grabbed the back of his robes, helping him to his feet.

"Now I'll have to get these pants sanitized," Draco said, glaring at Harry.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Hermione hissed, her face turning red. A gasp was heard from Ron as his jaw fell open. He mimed taking out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"_September second, 1997_," he began, his hand moving through the air, looking as though he was writing. "_A first for Miss Granger: she swore at the ugly ferret._" Harry laughed as Hermione leaned across the table to smack Ron across the top of his head.

"Hey!" Ron shouted, pretending to look offended. All three of them laughed. Before Draco could recover from his momentary shock, they grabbed their bags and timetables and quickly left the Great Hall.

"Did you see his face?" Harry asked, still laughing. "Even he was surprised when Hermione told him to sod off." Hermione blushed, suddenly looking modest. That only received a louder laugh from Harry, who she, too, smacked across the top of the head. "Hey!" he shouted, mimicking Ron.

"So, what do we have first?" Harry asked as they left the Entrance Hall. Ron screwed up his face in disgust.

"Charms with the Slytherins," he muttered, suddenly looking ill. "Oh, the agony! Oh, the inhumanity!" He twirled in a circle in a dramatic fashion and fell to the floor with his arm over his eyes. "Gag me with a rusty spoon!"

- - -

As they turned down the Charms corridor, Harry was shoved roughly to the side. He caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair before the person turned into a classroom. He scowled darkly.

"Honestly...He's being so childish," Hermione said quietly as they stepped inside the classroom. They took their usual seats and took out their wands. Harry caught sight of Draco, who was seated directly across from him, and sneered. He then turned to Ron.

"How much do you want to bet that Crabbe or Goyle hits him with one of their spells?" he asked quietly. Ron snickered, but before he could respond, Professor Flitwick climbed onto his desk and cleared his throat. The class quieted down and turned their attention toward him.

"The first thing we will be working with today will using the charm _Decreso Aetas_," the tiny professor began. "Yes, we have done this last year, but most of the start of your seventh year is a review for the N.E.W.Ts," he said above the loud groans of the students. "It is very crucial to remember most of the incantations we have learned." They all nodded miserably. "Right, then. Off you go," he squeaked before jumping off of his desk to go help students. The room filled with voices as the Gryffindors and Slytherins started shouting "_Decreso Aetas_!" and pointing their wands at the chickens that suddenly appeared along their tables. The first one to change his or her chicken successfully was Hermione, no surprise to anyone.

About halfway through the class, most of the class had achieved their goal. Ron was prodding his chicken with the tip of his wand and Harry was glaring at his out of frustration.

Without warning, Crabbe's had leapt off his table with a loud squawk and bit his ear. He let out a loud yell and fell into Draco, who swore loudly as his spell missed the chicken. Across the room there was a clatter as someone fell out of their seat and a shriek from Hermione. "The spell hit Harry!"

The room grew deathly quiet as everyone, except Draco, of course, slowly stood up to peer at the fallen teen. His emerald eyes were closed and his glasses were askew. There was no expression on his face. Hermione leaned down to check on him. "He seems okay. Just **--** unconscious," she said quietly. The professor hurried over as fast as he could to see for himself.

After his own inspection, he cleared his throat. "Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, if you could take him to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will have to keep an eye on him. That spell is rarely cast upon humans," he said quietly. With that said and Ron and Hermione had levitated Harry to take him to the hospital wing, he turned to the class. "As much as you may want to tell everyone you come across, you cannot so much as breathe a word about what you have witnessed."

- - -

Ron and Hermione arrived at the hospital wing, both slightly out of breath. It wasn't very easy to guide a levitating teenager around sharp corners without him bumping against the wall. The nurse hurried over once she heard the door open.

"What in heaven's name happened?" she asked, looking at Harry with wide eyes.

"Malfoy hit him with a spell by accident and he was knocked out by it," Ron explained in one breath. The nurse looked at him and frowned.

"Malfoy, as in Draco?" she asked, rubbing her temples. They both nodded. "And may I ask which spell?" Hermione jumped in before Ron could say anything else.

"_Decreso Aetas_," she said quietly. An expression of worry quickly made its way onto the nurse's face. She turned to look at the unconscious Gryffindor who was still floating in mid-air. Hermione flicked her wand quickly and laid him on the nearest bed. With a snap of the nurse's fingers, Harry was in patient's attire.

"He will have to stay here, I'm afraid. We all know the effect of the spell," Madam Pomfrey informed them gravely. The two Gryffindors nodded. "Who knows how long it will take for it to finally effect him?" Her voice trailed off. "Well, you two may leave. I will be sure to inform you of any changes that occur." Without so much as a nod, the both left quickly, unable to think of anything else to say.

Rubbing her temples once more, the nurse turned back to the occupied bed. The sight that met her eyes made her gasp out loud. "Oh, my! I didn't think it would happen that quickly!" Madam Pomfrey hurried over to the fireplace and grabbed a hand of Floo Powder. "Albus! Albus, come quickly! This is urgent!" she yelled into the fireplace. She had just enough time to back away before the Headmaster stepped out of the fireplace, covered in soot and looking slightly shaken.

"What is it, Poppy? What is wrong?" he asked quickly, looking around. She led him to the occupied bed and pointed. He was surprised to see a young boy with untidy jet-black hair and glasses lying in the bed. "Is that **--**" He had no need to finish the question. He knew that the boy in the bed was indeed a young Harry Potter.

- - -

I hope those words are correct in Latin...If you haven't guessed already (I'm sure most of you have...) _Decreso Aetas_ means decrease age.

If you liked my first stab at this, please be sure to leave a great review. Constructive critisism is welcome to tell me what I'm doing wrong. No flames! Any suggestions are welcome as well...Thanks! Oh...Sorry for any mistakes...

...TBC...


	2. Plans

Here's chapter 2...I have I think one more chapter already typed up so I'll just need to put that up soon. I have an offer for a beta so I'd like to thank Izzy for that. I'm still looking for the position for Britpicker. If anyone would like to do it, I'd appreciate it. Thanks for the great reviews...It makes me feel better and I want to continue with the story. I have ideas that keep coming, so I do my best to keep them at bay. Any way, here's the chapter.

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

"_What is it, Poppy? What is wrong?" he asked quickly, looking around. She led him to the occupied bed and pointed. He was surprised to see a young boy with untidy jet-black hair and glasses lying in the bed. "Is that --" He had no need to finish the question. He knew that the boy in the bed was indeed a young Harry Potter._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 2:** Plans

"What are we to do, Albus?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "We can't have the school know about this!" The Headmaster paced along the foot of the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose in deep thought. He knew they couldn't have a young child running around the castle. Who knew what problems that could cause?

"May I ask what has caused this, Poppy?" Professor Dumbledore asked, still pacing back and forth. The sight of the Headmaster looking so distraught was unnerving. The nurse didn't hesitate to fill him in with what Ron and Hermione had told her.

"So, it was Mr. Malfoy who has done this?" The nurse nodded. "Very well. Please go and find him, as well as both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. We need to sort this out." Madam Pomfrey left right away. The Headmaster sat on the foot of Harry's bed and looked closely at him. He looked so young and innocent. At the last thought, the professor chuckled despite himself, knowing the boy was far from it.

Within minutes the nurse hurried into the hospital wing closely followed by Ron and Hermione, both looking apprehensive, and Draco, who came in sulking behind them. The Headmaster stood up, shielding Harry from view for the time being.

"I am aware that you two have just brought him here," he said, looking pointedly at the two Gryffindors, who nodded in response, "but the change Mr. Potter was to undergo has occurred much sooner than Madam Pomfrey has expected." He stepped aside to let them see Harry. Hermione gasped loudly, Ron muttered a quiet "Blimey!" and even Draco looked mildly surprised.

At that moment, Harry began to stir. The small boy opened his eyes, looking around at them all. He let out a small yelp and backed up against the headboard of the bed. Ron walked slowly over to the bed. "Are you okay, mate?" Harry backed up as far as he could go, his emerald eyes wide. Seeing his discomfort, Hermione rushed over toward Ron and pulled him away by the back of his robes.

"He's not going to remember you!" she hissed into his ear. No doubt crossed anyone's mind that she has read something involving this spell on humans before. Ron went slightly pale before he rounded on Draco.

"This is all your bloody fault!" he shouted. Madam Pomfrey hurried over to Ron, whose fingers were inches away from Draco's throat, and pulled him away.

"Mr. Weasley! Please refrain from strangling another student!" she said in a strained voice. Ron glared at Draco once more before going to sit in a chair by Harry's bed. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, calling their attention toward him. The seething redhead continued sending death glares in the blonde's direction. He balled his hands into fists, his fingers itching to wrap themselves around the blonde's throat.

"I know you are all aware of Mr. Potter's current situation. Despite the short period in which this transformation has occurred, I have come up with a plan for the time being," the Headmaster began, pacing once more. He was all too aware of the terrified emerald eyes that followed his every move. "Hopefully it will work. We know that no one can see him in his current state, as it may lead to problems that could eventually find their way to the Ministry." The professor scowled breifly after that last statement. He still had many differences to sort out with Cornelius Fudge, who was still riding strong as the Minister of Magic. "Our young Gryffindor will need to lie low and stay under supervision under any circumstance." All three of the students, except for the small Gryffindor, nodded slowly. "As it was Mr. Malfoy's doing, though by accident, Harry will be staying with him."

After that last statement, all hell broke loose. The three older students all started shouting at once. Bits of "-- but I'm Head Girl, he could stay with me! --", "-- You can't trust the bloody ferret for all he's worth! --", and "-- I am _so _not having a Gryffindor staying in my dormitory!" were heard. The Headmaster held up a hand and they silenced at once.

"Mr. Malfoy is Head boy," the Headmaster stated. "I understand that you are Head Girl, Miss Granger, but you have more studies to attend to as well as your other duties," he said quickly as she opened her mouth to protest. "Mr. Potter will stay in Mr. Malfoy's dormitories until the spell wears off. You are a very powerful wizard Mr. Malfoy, so this spell can last between a few days to a few months." Draco's mouth fell open.

"I will have to stay with Potter for a few _months_?" he half shouted. No one took notice of Harry, who was now hiding under the bedcovers.

"We're not for certain, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Dumbledore explained. "We will have him stay with you until it wears off. Some of his clothes, which will be reduced in size of course, will be sent to your dormitory. We will just need a cover story for both of you for missing your classes until then **--**"

"_What?_ I'm going to be missing my classes?" Draco shouted, the lump of blankets on the bed now quivering.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, you will be. You can't have a five-year-old child following you throughout the school causing problems, now can you?" the Headmaster pointed out. "He cannot be left alone, as well. There is no other solution." The room remained quiet until Hermione spoke out quietly.

"I think I have an idea for a cover story, Professor," she said. The Headmaster nodded, telling her to go on. "I have heard that there is a nasty bout of the _Emissio Veneficium_ flu going around this year. It is Latin for loose magic. You could tell the school that Harry and Malfoy have gotten a bad case of it and have to stay quarantined from the rest of the school. Otherwise, they would destroy anything in their path with uncontrolled magic." She paused to take a breath, looking at the professor expectantly. He seemed to be considering her idea. Much to her pleasure, he broke into a smile.

"That is very nice thinking Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore said. He sighed, knowing he will have to round up the rest of the students that had been in the class and remind them not to say anything about what really happened to Harry and Draco. They would need to know where he was, as well. He then turned to look at the blonde, who was still sulking about having Harry stay in his dormitory. "I will announce to the school that you two are ill and unable to control your magic. I can get Mr. Zabini to take over your Head Boy duties, and, if need be, he can also take your position as the Slytherin Seeker. Miss Weasley can take over the position for Gryffindor." Draco only scowled even more darkly. "Now, I guess we should get acquainted with our young Mr. Potter." At the sound of his name, Harry peeked over the top of the sheet. His stunningly green eyes were as wide as ever.

"How do you know my name?" he asked quietly. Hermione smiled at him and Ron chuckled. Dumbledore thought quickly.

"Let's just say your aunt and uncle told us your name when they brought you here," he replied.

"You mean, I live here now?" he asked hopefully, yet he seemed a bit confused as he didn't remember being brought to such a place as this. "I never have to go back?" The Headmaster's eyes twinkled slightly, and he gave the small boy a smile.

"For now, yes. We will make sure you are happy here, Harry," Dumbledore replied, being rewarded with a smile that lit up the young Gryffindor's face. "Now, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Harry looked down, looking shy.

"My name is Harry James Potter and I live with my aunt, uncle, and my cousin Dudley," he began. A sad look suddenly crossed over his young features. "My mum and dad died in a car crash when I was little," he said quietly. A sniff was heard from Hermione and a sad look crossed over her face. Ron, the Headmaster, and herself knew he was force-fed that lie because his aunt and uncle would never want to reveal the truth to him since it involved the dreaded 'M' word.

"What are your aunt, uncle, and cousin like?" Dumbledore asked. Draco leaned forward a little, as this would be new information to him. Harry never uttered a word to him about his sad excuse for a family, unless he let something slip about having a crummy life compared to him. Harry looked down and examined his small hands. When he spoke, his voice was very quiet.

"They aren't very nice," he began. "My uncle and cousin hit me even when I don't do anything. Yesterday Uncle Vernon threw a book at me after I asked him to read it to me." Harry lifted up his hospital robes and revealed an ugly bruise on one side of his stomach. Hermione gasped, tears threatening to fall from her cinnamon brown eyes. He never revealed that he had been abused. "Dudley always steals my food and eats it, even if he ate already. He chases me and punches me a lot. It hurts." The young Gryffindor began sniffling, curling up under the sheet. The Headmaster immediately regretted his question about Harry's family. He never knew the extent of their cruelty.

"Harry, it's okay. They won't be able to hurt you anymore," the Headmaster said soothingly. "You will be very happy here in the castle." Harry immediately sat up.

"I'm **--** I'm in a _castle_?" he whispered, looking amazed. He swung his small legs over the side of the bed and padded over to a window. His jaw fell open as his emerald eyes scanned the large grounds surrounding the castle. He caught sight of other towers, all rising toward the opalescent blue sky. His hands and nose were pressed against the glass. Hermione, Ron, and Professor Dumbledore laughed lightly. Even Draco had a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, which he quickly replaced with his trademark smirk.

"Yes, you are, Mr. Potter, and it is a very safe one. No one will be able to harm you here," the professor added. Harry seemed to be off in his own world at the moment. His eyes were glazed over and he was biting his bottom lip. The Headmaster walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his reverie. Harry turned around quickly, looking at them all. He began to look nervous again. Professor Dumbledore, being the quick-witted man he was, noticed this. "I guess I should tell you who we are, since you will be residing with us." He looked pointedly at Hermione, who stepped over and kneeled down in front of Harry, smiling brightly.

"Hello, Harry," she said cheerfully. "My name is Hermione Granger. It's nice to meet you." Harry smiled at her.

"Hello, Her**-**my **--**" Harry paused, looking thoughtful. A smile then spread across his face. "Hello, 'Mione!" She laughed lightly, as well as Ron, who was now stepping over to him.

"Hiya, mate," he said, kneeling down in front of Harry. "My name is Ron Weasley. I hope you like staying here with us."

"Hi, Ron," he replied, smiling at the redhead. Draco was waiting to see if the Headmaster would go before him, but he was receiving knowing glances from the three of them. Sighing, he stepped over toward the small boy and knelt down.

"Hello, Po **--**" Draco stopped in mid sentence as he received a stern glance from the professor. Sighing dejectedly, he tried again. "Hello, Harry." The name sounded foreign when it came out of his mouth. Draco shuddered and stood up. Harry held onto his robes to keep him from walking away.

"What's your name? You didn't tell me," Harry informed him. Once again, Draco sighed.

"My name is Draco," Draco replied, not looking at Harry. It was then the Headmaster's turn to step over to Harry.

"Hello, Harry. My name is Albus Dumbledore," he began, smiling at Harry. "If you ever need any help, you can always ask one of these three to bring you to me." He motioned toward the students in turn. The Headmaster turned toward Draco. "You will take him to your dormitory now, Mr. Malfoy, and I will be arriving there shortly." He then turned to look at Ron and Hermione. "In the meantime, you two can go back to your respected dorms to wait until your next class begins. And remember," he added, just as they turned to leave. "Don't breathe a word about what has taken place." The two Gryffindors nodded simultaneously and left together, whispering quietly.

Draco turned to look at the anxious looking child who inched closer toward the Headmaster. The Slytherin narrowed his eyes at him and then began stalking toward the door. Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore, who merely nodded, and, though reluctantly, quickly followed him.

Harry looked up and down the corridor, looking somewhat frightened and overwhelmed by the sheer size of it, before running after Draco while stumbling over the hospital gown. "Hey, wait for me!" he shouted after the blonde. Draco turned quickly and hurried over toward him, causing the Gryffindor to stop dead in his tracks.

"You have to be quiet," he hissed, placing his hand over Harry's mouth. "No one can know what has happened to you." Harry nodded quickly as he tried to peel Draco's fingers off of his face, his emerald eyes wide and filled with emotions that could easily be read as confusion and fear. Draco looked at Harry's hospital gown, which was hanging off his small shoulders, with distaste. He took out his wand, which Harry looked at frightfully, and transfigured it to a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that fit perfectly. He was looking at himself, not sure about what had just happened to what he had been wearing. Harry then stepped out of his large shoes and pointed at them.

"Uh uh, I don't wanna wear 'em," he said in his small voice. The blonde glanced at him and he began backing against the wall, looking ready to take any insult or hit that could be thrown at him. Rolling his eyes, Draco picked up the shoes. He raised an eyebrow at them. "Damn, Potter, you had some big feet," he said before continuing to walk down the corridor, followed closely by a confused-looking Harry.

- - -

Please review!

...TBC...


	3. Confusion

Sorry if this chapter (and the next) are a bit dry. I have a better idea for the ones after them, so I guess these would be fillers. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_"Damn, Potter, you had some big feet," he said before continuing to walk down the corridor, followed closely by a confused-looking Harry._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 3:** Confusion

A little while later, they arrived outside of a portrait in the dungeons containing a large silver dragon. Harry let out a tiny yelp as it roared menacingly and breathed out fire. Draco scowled as Harry hid behind him, his small arms wrapped tightly around his knees.

"_Salazar, King of Serpents_," Draco muttered. He watched the portrait slide to reveal a hole in the wall that led to a large room. Everything inside was decorated in a Slytherin colour, from the green walls right down to the silver carpet.

Harry peered out from behind Draco, his eyes widening at the sight that lied just beyond the threshold. Slowly, he let his arms fall from around Draco's knees and walked through the portrait hole, his mouth hanging open. He stopped in the middle of the living area. Draco stood quietly behind him, watching the small Gryffindor's reaction. To him, it seemed as if everything was reflected in the young boy's large, green eyes.

Without warning, Harry set off running across the living room and up the small set of stairs that led to the hallway. Draco panicked, thinking Harry was going to destroy something. He ran after the small child. He skidded into the bathroom, tripped over the small rug, and fell to the tiled floor. He stood up, expecting to see a disastrous sight. Instead, he saw Harry kneeling on the green marble counter, his small hands pressed against the large mirror. He was looking at his reflection, his glasses halfway down his nose. Draco reached over and lifted him off the counter and set him onto the tiled floor. "Come on, Potter. Let's go back out here," he said, turning to leave the room.

"Why don't you call me by my first name?" Harry asked so quietly, Draco wasn't sure if he even heard him. He turned back around to face him. Draco closed his eyes slowly, and then opened them. He sighed, looking looking down at the other. The boy looked so upset, he seemed to be on the brink of tears. Draco seemed to find himself lost in those big emerald eyes that were filled with many different emotions. He shook his head to clear his mind. Sighing once again, he held out his hand for Harry to take.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said hesitantly. "Come on **--** _Harry_." The name really did sound different coming from his mouth. It sounded **--** forbidden. Harry stared at his outstretched hand, then back up at his face. He seemed to be studying whether he could trust Draco or not. He hesitantly placed his hand in Draco's and was soon led back down to the living quarters.

It was then that Harry noticed a silver tray of chicken legs, rolls, crisps, treacle tart, and two flasks of pumpkin juice on the glass table. He hurried over to it, then paused in mid-reach, looking at Draco questioningly. Draco looked at him curiously before nodding. Harry grabbed a chicken leg and went to sit on the dark leather couch. He ate slowly while looking around, wide-eyed. He seemed very aware, looking as though he was ready to be scolded for doing something wrong. For a split second, Draco felt pity for the small boy, knowing he must have gone through hell and back many times during his childhood with his so-called family. That moment passed as quickly as it came.

Another moment later, there was a quick knock coming from the other side of the portrait. Harry, who had been currently reaching for another piece of chicken, looked up quickly and jumped off of the couch. He ran over to the dining room table and dove under it just as Draco went over and opened the portrait. He then came back into the room, followed closely by Albus Dumbledore.

Draco sat down on the end of the couch as Professor Dumbledore sat on an armchair close to him. Draco scowled at the floor, not looking very happy about having the Headmaster in his dormitory.

After a period of silence, the Headmaster cleared his throat and began speaking. "Of course you know why I am here, Mr. Malfoy." Draco merely nodded while pretending to seem interested in a spot on the floor. "You also know you are to stay here for the time being. You can't be seen while walking around with an unpredictable child. Who knows what mayhem may occur?" The professor's intelligent light blue eyes twinkled with mirth, knowing what hell Harry would be capable of causing. "If you wish to leave your dormitory for any reason, you may use your invisibility cloak. Of course, you would have to ask permission first, so it would be best to owl ahead of time, except in a case in which it's an emergency."

Draco nodded, now seeming determined to burn a hole in the floor just by looking at it. The professor looked around the room as though looking for something. "Where has the young Mr. Potter run off to?" he asked, his eyes lingering over toward the dining room table. Without hesitation, Draco pointed at it. There was a squeak and a chair fell over, revealing the nervous five-year-old. Dumbledore let out a small laugh, which only caused Harry to blush. "Come on over here, Harry. It's okay," he coaxed. The small boy slowly crawled out from underneath the table and walked over to the couch. He sat next to Draco, who moved away from him. Harry, who was watching the other, looked very upset before the professor spoke again. "It looks like he may have taken a quick liking to you, Mr. Malfoy," he said, chuckling. "He has always been quick to judge others rather quickly, if you don't mind me saying."

"You can say that again," Draco mumbled, looking at the boy who was now sulking at the other end of the couch, suddenly remembering the day on the train when Harry had declined his hand in friendship. The professor ignored his comment.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and began once more. "Now, as I may have said before, I will inform the school about your absence. Hopefully nothing slips out to the students," he added thoughtfully. "If it happens, there may be a way to cover it up. Someone trustworthy will have to bring up your class work so you don't fall behind. I may recommend Mr. Weasley since Miss Granger has her own duties to attend to." Draco nodded, though now he was giving the floor a death glare. If he could have his way, the Weasel would be tied to a rock at the bottom of the lake where the giant squid usually dwells. That thought seemed to make Draco feel a little better. He still wasn't exactly what you would call delighted about the part where the redhead has to set foot in his dormitory, however.

Professor Dumbledore then turned his attention back to Harry, who was leaning over the edge of the couch, wiggling his toes. He watched the small boy thoughtfully, and then took a small box out of his cloak pocket. The sound of it being opened made Harry's head snap up and he watched the Headmaster reveal a chocolate frog. His eyes grew wide as it hopped out of the man's hand and in his direction. Noticing the wary look on his face, the Headmaster said, "It's quite all right, Harry, it's only chocolate." Harry's eyes grew wide, never knowing chocolate could move. When it was within his reach, Harry shot his arm out and grabbed it. Without hesitation, he stuffed it into his mouth. "I guess he's always had those reflexes," the professor thought out loud, smiling.

"No wonder he was made Seeker," Draco muttered, looking at the small Gryffindor, who was now licking his fingers.

"We should put more food like that into his diet," Professor Dumbledore said quietly. "He's far too skinny." A dark look crossed over his face, one that surprised even Draco.

"Why is he so thin, Professor?" Draco questioned, unable to keep his curiosity in check. The Headmaster cleared his throat, looking a bit uncomfortable. He looked at Harry, who was tugging at the ends of his sleeves, which were already slightly frayed. The Headmaster waved his right hand and a Snitch materialized out of thin air. It caught Harry's attention immediately. His large emerald eyes widened as he stood up.

"Why don't you go and play with this up there, Harry?" Dumbledore pointed up the stairs and Harry nodded energetically. With a snap of the fingers, the Snitch whizzed up the small set of stairs and out of sight, Harry not far behind. "Now, that ought to entertain him for a while. At least he won't be able to overhear. If he were his normal self, Harry would do anything to stop me from telling you," he said. Draco chuckled lightly despite himself. The professor cleared his throat once more before saying, "As you have been told earlier, Harry's family is very abusive. They also neglect him most of the time, whether it's going places, having things to entertain himself with, or even eating." At the last statement, Draco's eyes grew wide.

"How could anyone be like that?" he thought out loud. It was surprising to hear that, even though it was his enemy they were talking about.

"Well, his aunt and uncle are very much against the idea of him being a wizard," the Headmaster informed the blonde Slytherin. "Ever since the moment he appeared on their doorstep the night his parents were murdered, they fed him lies about who he was and what happened to his real family. They were hoping that doing those things would drain every bit of magic out of him. They were horribly wrong. On his eleventh birthday, Hagrid went to take him away so he could help him get ready for Hogwarts and he was told everything." Draco nodded, now understanding. Everyone had thought that Gryffindor's Golden Boy had the best life that anyone could ever dream of. They didn't have any idea about how wrong they were.

The Headmaster cleared his throat once more, and that was when he turned the tables.

"Now, I know Mr. Potter and yourself have never gotten along very well, which I know is an understatement." Draco nodded slowly at that. He was wondering how either of them were going to get through this, though Harry currently didn't know anything about his life here over the previous years. "I am not so certain about how Harry will react to this, though I am sure he will be all right with it." The Headmaster smiled a little at that, which became annoying to Draco. The man then became more serious, looking more pointedly at the blonde. "Be sure to remember that if anything out of the ordinary were to occur, report it to me or the Heads of Slytherin or Gryffindor houses."

Draco nodded once more as Professor Dumbledore stood up. With a nod, he said in a carrying voice, "Good day Draco, Harry," and was gone. Blinking, Draco stared at the spot where the Headmaster disappeared. The man never ceased to amaze him. Shaking his head, he hurried up the small flight of stairs in pursuit of the small Gryffindor.

Draco found Harry in his room, jumping on the bed with his arm outstretched toward the Snitch that was fluttering just out of his reach. With one last jump, his fingers closed around in it. Grinning, Harry turned toward Draco and waved it through the air triumphantly. "_Draaaco_! I got it!" Draco cringed slightly at the sound of his name being carried out like that, but instantly regretted it as Harry jumped off of his bed and collided with him. They both slid down onto the floor and Harry quickly scrambled out of Draco's lap, looking frightened. Without looking back, he ran out of the room and down the stairs. That was when Draco heard another knock at the portrait.

"Christ, doesn't anyone know the meaning of privacy?" he yelled as he made his way across the room to answer it. A half-smirking, half-smiling Professor Snape, which was unnerving, and a huffy-looking Hermione Granger greeted him. "Why is she here?" he blurted out while eyeing Hermione with extreme disgust. The professor chuckled, which made her jump a foot away from him, looking frightened. Draco had to stop himself from laughing out loud as he let them by, though reluctantly.

"I met Miss Granger on the way here, so I asked her to join me," the professor replied, now fully smirking. Draco's eyes went wide and his jaw fell open. Just as he was about to ask what kind of drugs he was on, Snape continued. "There is something that I need to talk to you about, and I needed her." He jabbed a finger in a very confused Hermione's direction. "I may have figured out a way to change Potter back, and I would need her assistance. She's the only student that has more brains than the other imbeciles. Besides you, of course, yet you are occupied with your young charge." Both students relaxed slightly, still looking a bit confused, yet Hermione managed to still bristle at the comment. "There is a potion that could be made that will increase his age, but it is highly dangerous. It will take a couple days to make, but a little more time will be needed to get the ingredients, the fact being that they are very rare," the professor informed them, looking pleased with himself. Hermione was looking around the room at that moment, when something dawned on her.

"Where is Harry?" she asked quietly, glancing sidelong at the professor as if he would bite her head off for changing the subject.

"I'm not sure exactly," Draco replied carelessly, shrugging his shoulders. "He ran off somewhere before you two came." He glared at them for the intrusion. It was bad enough when a very hyperactive Pansy Parkinson was here, but having a Muggleborn in his dorms seemed much worse at the moment. Hermione's cinnamon brown eyes widened in disbelief.

"_What?_ You haven't been keeping an eye on him?" she huffed, glaring at Draco. "What if something happens? Who knows what kind of harmful things you could be hiding here?" She stood up quickly and headed towards the staircase. "Harry? Harry, where are you?"

"'Mione?" came as her reply. His voice sounded distant, like he was hiding under something, which he was. Rapid footsteps were then heard as he ran down the hallway and the stairs and into her arms with so much force that they both fell over. Hermione sat up, laughing, and placed Harry in her lap.

"Where were you?" she asked, smiling at him while glancing at Draco, who looked slightly amused, though a little disgusted at the same time.

"Underneath the desk," was all Harry said, causing Hermione to raise an eyebrow. Though as young as he was, Harry seemed to be able to read her questioning look. "I thought I hurt Draco when I crashed into him and I thought I would be in big trouble." Harry took the Snitch, which now had its wings folded around itself, out of his pocket and told Hermione what happened, and she nodded in understanding without saying anything. Harry began looking around once more. The moment his eyes laid on Snape, he jumped out of Hermione's lap and hid behind her, peeking over her shoulder. She couldn't help but let out a small laugh, which she quickly changed into a cough.

"Don't worry, Potter, I won't hurt you," the professor said, looking at the boy with mild interest and amusement. Harry narrowed his eyes, as though he was calculating the man, seeing whether he could trust him or not. Snape motioned for him to come closer so he could see him better. Harry hesitantly stepped out from behind Hermione and over to him, though his eyes were still wide, seeming as if he wanted to be sure he could see everything around him in case he had to run away. He stood in front of the man, who looked him up and down. Stroking his chin, the professor said, "He seems to be about five to six years old, so this potion will take a little longer than I thought." Hermione's face fell; she was hoping to be around around the professor as little as possible this year. So much for that...

Hermione suddenly stood up as though she was struck by lightning, hit with a sudden idea. "I just thought -- a book -- library -- Ron -- bye!" was all she said before hugging Harry quickly, glaring at the Slytherin, and running out of the room. The three males looked very confused, the two older ones thinking they will never understand the mystery that is women.

Turning back to the situation at hand, Professor Snape stood up. Brushing off his robes, he nodded at Draco before heading toward the portrait hole. "I need to do my own research, and it appears as if Miss Granger is going to the library to do the same," he said as he closed the portrait behind him. Draco scratched his head, an eyebrow raised; this day couldn't be anymore confusing than it was becoming.

- - -

Make sure to leave a nice review!

...TBC...


	4. Why me?

Hi, everyone! I'm sorry if this chapter isn't that great. I ran sort of dry. I have an idea for the next chapter that will be a lot better. This may just be a filler, once again. Sorry. -hides-

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_"I need to do my own research, and it appears as if Miss Granger is going to the library to do the same," he said as he closed the portrait behind him. Draco scratched his head, an eyebrow raised; this day couldn't be anymore confusing than it was becoming._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 4:** Why Me?

Hermione ran along the corridor with Ron not too far behind her. "What's going on?" he panted as they made their way up a staircase to the second floor. "What's wrong?"

Ron was enjoying his lunch in the Great Hall and was anything but happy when Hermione interrupted him. She just kept going on about how she needed him to help her with something and left it at that. When she still didn't answer his questions, the redhead kept his mouth shut.

Within minutes, the two Gryffindors reached the library. Ron raised an eyebrow at Hermione, who was oblivious to the gesture. She came here all the time; he just didn't see what all the excitement was about. She still hasn't told him why they were here.

The librarian, Madam Pince, looked disapproving of their flushed, sweaty faces, and loud panting. "Come on!" Hermione whispered urgently, grabbing Ron by the neck of his robes and hauling him over to the Charms and Hexes section, which was located in one of the far corners. Ron's mouth fell open as the sight of several shelves that almost reached the ceiling met his eyes, all crammed with books. Hermione's eyes danced with delight as she pulled book upon book off of the shelves in front of her. The redhead watched, horror-struck.

"We're going to be here _all_ night..."

- - -

Harry pouted at Draco, who was looking at the boy with eyes full of loathing emotions. The small Gryffindor has been asking him questions non-stop for the past fifteen minutes. Finally annoyed, Draco simply sat on the couch, looking anywhere but at Harry. Realising he was being ignored, tears filled those startling green eyes. What came next was something Draco wasn't fully expecting.

Harry curled into a ball on the floor, crying loudly. His wails echoed throughout the room, seeming twice as loud once they reached Draco's ears. Sobs raked through his small body, making him look as though he was ready to collapse into nothing. He was just that small. Draco rolled his eyes, his ears and head beginning to ache. He has never known someone that small to be that loud. Knowing what he would have to do, he walked over to Harry and picked him up by his arms. The small Gryffindor's face was red and slightly blotchy from the crying. He instantly quieted down when he was picked up, but those constant sniffles wouldn't go away for a while. That's the last time Draco would ignore a child at this age.

Not feeling very guilty, Draco sat down on the couch with Harry next to him, knowing he would have to comfort the boy. Harry rested his head hesitantly against Draco's chest and quieted down a little, seeming to be comforted by the sound of someone else's heartbeat. Reluctantly, the Slytherin ran his hand gently through Harry's hair. The boy's eyes fluttered shut. _He actually looks sort of cute and innocent when...NO!_ Draco mentally slapped himself over and over for having a thought like that sneak its way into his mind. In no way did he think Harry was cute, no matter how young he was.

Just as Harry was drifting off to sleep, there was a single knock on the portrait before it banged open. Draco stood up and only saw a glimpse of blonde hair before he was in a death grip. "Hello, Pansy," he managed, his chest feeling constricted. He never noticed how much strength that girl had, especially when hugging someone. The only thing he was thinking right now, however, was that he had to change the password unless he wanted to go through this constantly.

"Oh, Draco, I can't believe they're making you do this!" she squealed, batting her long eyelashes at her oblivious fellow Slytherin. "It's so unfair **--**" Draco finally managed to free one of his arms and clap it over her mouth before she could continue her ranting. She went slightly crossed-eyed for a moment while looking at the hand that covered her mouth before looking up at him, glaring. He pushed her back onto the couch right next to where Harry lay, sleeping. After taking one look at the boy, she stood with a shriek. Realising who it was, she calmed down, straightening her hair.

"Pansy, what the hell are you doing here?" Draco couldn't help but snap at the girl. She was always barging in, nagging, never shutting her abnormally large mouth...

"I just came to see how you were holding up," she replied, making an attempt to look sweet. The sight of her alone made Draco feel nauseous. "I've just finished telling Nott about the incid--"

"_WHAT!_" Draco grabbed Pansy by the arms with enough strength for her eyes to water in pain. "What the hell did you just say?" Unconsciously, his fingers began creeping up along her quivering arms toward her throat. "Don't you _dare _let it be what I thought I heard." His voice has now withered away to a hiss that would send anyone scampering. Pansy had the decency to be scared out of her wits. "Did you just say that you told Nott about this?" Draco also had the decency to look enraged; Theodore Nott was one of the worst gossipers in all of Slytherin house, let alone the entire school. Once something made its way to him, all of the students would hear about it within twenty-four hours. No one was supposed to know about this besides their class. So much for that.

Unable to keep his boiling temper at bay, Draco released her right arm and struck her across the face with his free hand. "You insolent cow!" he roared. "No one, and I repeat, _NO ONE_ was supposed to know about this!" Draco was now shaking so badly that he had to sit down. No one has enraged him this much in a very long time, not even Harry. "Get out," he said in a deadly whisper. Pansy had finally found her voice.

"Draco, I --"

"_GET OUT!_" Without looking back, Pansy sprinted out of the dormitory.

- - -

Ron let out a heavy sigh, fighting to keep his eyes open. Even though it was still pretty early in the day, he was beginning to feel drowsy due to the fact that he had been looking through book after book after book. Hermione finally told him that they were to try and find information on the spell that was cast on Harry. So far, not one thing has come up.

Yawning, Ron stood up to get another book. His head was pounding with information that he absorbed after going through page after page of facts about different charms. Hermione was immersed in _Hogwarts: A History_, having said that she needed to relax her mind for the rigorous research ahead. Ron thought that to be really unfair since the responsibility has now been put on him for now. He also couldn't believe that she was reading that book again, perhaps for the umpteenth time.

Without warning, Hermione let out a loud gasp that caused Ron to fall out of his chair, as he had been half asleep. She leaned inward toward the table, her nose almost touching the book itself. Her eyes were moving frantically along the pages. Beaming, she stood up with the book in hand and grabbed Ron by the arm. "Come on! I have something that may be useful to Harry and Malfoy!" With that, she set off at a run out of the library with Ron protesting behind her.

- - -

Draco sighed deeply and laid down on the couch; he had just taken a very strong cheering potion that was supposed to keep him in a good mood for a while. He needed it after the ordeal he just went through. Harry was sitting across the room from him, watching the blonde's movements fearfully; he awoke when Draco began yelling at Pansy and saw everything.

When there was a frantic knock on the portrait, Draco let out a long string of loud, colourful profanities as he went to answer it (as the potion hadn't kicked in yet) that caused Harry to jump off of his seat and sidle behind the draperies. A moment later, Draco came back into the room followed closely by Hermione and a sulky Ron behind her. The redhead looked like he would rather be off eating a box full of only vomit flavoured Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans than be here. "What do you want?" Draco asked snappishly, eyeing both of them with distaste. Hermione ignored his tone held up the book she had brought with her.

"I found something in here that you may like," the brunette replied breathlessly. "I know you're not to leave the castle, so I think this will help to pass some of the time." The two older males looked at her, confusion making its way onto their faces. Harry had snuck up behind them after hearing Hermione's voice. "Oh, come on!" She grabbed a startled Harry's hand, just noticing he was there, and turned to run out of the room. Shrugging, the other two followed.

Once they reached the seventh floor, all very winded, Ron said, "Hermione, this is the way to the Gryffindor common room!" Just as he finished the sentence, she turned down a corridor that they have never been down before. They went up a small flight of stairs and turned left into a corridor that had only one door. Beaming, she pushed it open to let them look inside. The sight that met them was unbelievable...

- - -

Sorry, I had to do it. Please don't be too mad. -hides under a table- I'd also like to apologise for the Pansy bashing (for those that like her. Personally, I can't stand her.). I just kept typing and that bit weaselled its way in there. Sorry about the shortness of the chapter. If I kept going from where I left off, it would have probably been really long.

I'm also not very sure when I'll update next. I won't be home this weekend and I have a Spanish essay due Friday and the visual due Monday. I'll do my best to do it as soon as possible.

Make sure to leave a nice review!

...TBC...


	5. The Room of Seasons

Well, here's the next chapter. Sorry about the cliffie! I had to do it. Heh. Thanks for the reviews! Anyway, here ya go...

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_Beaming, Hermione pushed open the door to let them look inside. The sight that met them was unbelievable..._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 5:** The Room of Seasons

Stepping into the room, the three older students drew in a collective breath. It was just like stepping outside itself. Trees sprouted from the grass-covered floor. The topmost branches barely touched the ceiling that, just like the one in the Great Hall, had been enchanted to look like the sky outside. On the far side of the room in the corner, there was a structure of large stones that had clear, clean water cascading down them into a creek that cut its way through the full length of the room. Bright sunlight that seemed to be coming from the ceiling dappled the grassy floor. Ron, Hermione, and Draco let out a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Harry managed to move out from behind the three older students and over the threshold.

"This looks sort of like the classroom we used on the ground floor in fifth year," Ron muttered quietly, stepping inside after Harry. The other two followed, Hermione closing the door behind her. Harry was looking fearfully at a section of wall that appeared to be missing, opening up to the outside world. Hermione walked over to it, looking down at the book. Smiling, she took out her wand and prodded what they thought would be open air. Instead, ripples spread from the tip, the wand not going any farther.

"There's nothing to worry about," she said soothingly, now placing her hand where her wand had touched. Ripples spread over the whole length of the wall. "There's an invisible force here to keep anyone from falling out." Draco looked around the room carefully. To him, it looked like a small section of the Forbidden Forest, though this place seemed to have a more cheerful atmosphere. Harry tore his eyes away from the open wall and began walking over to a wooden bridge that arched over the creek. Ron looked fit to bursting with curiosity.

"What is this place?" he asked, his eyes taking in every detail. Hermione consulted the old book.

"It's called the Room of Seasons," she replied. Ron suddenly looked confused. Grinning, she held up her wand. Double checking the book, she called out, "_Frigus_!" Instantly, the atmosphere changed. A chilling wind blew throughout the whole room and snow began falling from the ceiling, covering the ground. The trees that had once held green leaves were now bare. Harry yelped in surprise, putting his arms around himself to keep warm. Ron's jaw dropped at the sudden change.

"This would be perfect for when it gets really hot outside," Draco said, looking around in amusement. The potion he had taken earlier had finally kicked in, and, surprisingly, he was feeling _somewhat _civil. Hermione glanced once more at the book, shivering.

"_Primo Vere_!" she shouted, and once more, the scenery changed. The snow disappeared and the bare trees were now sporting large green buds. The wind blew a little more warmly this time. New flowers sprouted from the ground in a large array of colours. Ron looked closely at one that seemed to be shifting through different shades of purple, blue, and red. The whole room smelled of new life. Raising her wand, Hermione called out, "_Aestas_!"

The trees were now covered in dark green leaves once more. The only difference was that the air was a lot warmer and thicker. "Wow, it got so bloody hot in here," Ron mumbled, taking off his trainers and stepping into the creek. Draco rolled his eyes at the redhead and pulled off his robes and took his shoes off as well. He went over to the creek and put his feet into the water, staying a good distance away from Ron. He laid down in the grass with his arms underneath his head and closed his eyes, Harry, who already had his shoes off, sat on the bridge and dangled his legs over the side. "Hey! Look! There is some sort of fish things living in here!" Ron shouted. Hermione walked over to the bank, looking where he was pointing. There were indeed things that resembled fish, only their transparent fins sparkled brightly, matching their colour-changing scales, and they had a slightly pointed face, making it look like that had beaks.

Hermione instantly answered their unasked question. "They are called Lyries. They help to keep water clean enough for other creatures to live in by filtering it with their gills. I wonder why nothing else lives in there with them **--**"She was cut off as Ron hastily jumped out of the water and fell into the grass, holding his foot.

"It bit me!" he yelled, looking scandalized. The others couldn't help but laugh, only making them receive a glare in return. Draco quickly took his feet out of the water, still lying down in the grass. He rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in his arms.

"They use their pointed mouths as a defence mechanism," Hermione managed through her laughter. "Apparently they thought your foot was an intruder in their territory." Ron only mumbled incoherently under his breath, pointing his wand at the shallow gash in his foot. It instantly disappeared and he stood up, shooting a glare at the Lyries that were now glimmering innocently beneath the surface of the water.

Hermione, now managing to keep her giggles at bay, consulted the book once again. "There's only one more." Raising her wand above her head, she shouted, "_Autumnus_!" The stifling air turned crisp, a slight chill in the enchanted breeze. The trees now showed a large variety of red, orange, and yellow leaves, some already littering the ground. Ron sat down on the bridge with Harry, who was now careful to keep his feet his feet away from the water.

"Now I see why they call it the Room of Seasons," he said, lying down on his back. Draco was now standing near one of the larger trees, examining a red leaf that was larger than his entire face. "I wonder why Dumbledore never told us about it. There could have been so many times when we could have come here, like when it was too late to leave the castle or when it was pouring rain outside. It's so close to the common room, too!" Disappointment could be clearly heard in his voice.

"Well, maybe he didn't know about it Ron," Hermione replied. "It's just like when he stumbled upon the Room of Requirement, but he never really knew what it was. Anyway, we may be getting more use out of it now." She glanced at Harry, who was making his way over to her. He looked slightly confused and a little frightened.

"'Mione? How did you do all of that?" he asked her, his head tilted slightly to one side. "The room changed so quickly when you said those funny words." Hermione looked slightly shaken at the question, but then smiled at him. Why not tell the truth? He would be finding out sooner or later...

"It's called magic, Harry," she said soothingly and the small Gryffindor's eyes widened. He then looked disbelieving.

"My aunt and uncle told me magic didn't exist," Harry said, sounding thoroughly disappointed. "They said it was all made up and to never ask about it again." Hermione had a feeling that this would be the reason behind the confusion. Smiling, she handed him her wand.

"Just wave it, Harry, and watch," she urged. Looking confused and a little doubtful, Harry made a swish-and-flick motion. Ron almost laughed out loud at the fact that a five-year-old had gotten the motion down faster than he had in their first year. Harry almost fell over in surprise when a trail of multicoloured sparkles emanated from the tip of the wand. He handed it back to its owner, looking a little more convinced.

"I wonder why they told me it wasn't real," Harry whispered. Hermione patted him on the shoulder in a motherly way.

"It's okay," she replied. "They might not have known." She knew that was a downright lie, but she didn't want to make him even more upset. At that point, Harry decided to yawn. Hermione took that as a hint to be getting back to the dormitories. Outside, there was a reddish glow over the horizon, signalling the sunset. "Let's go," she said, motioning for them to leave. "It's going to be dark soon."

As they were leaving, Draco muttered darkly, "I think there were fairies in those bushes...and they were winking at me..."

- - -

Harry finished the little bit of Shepherd's pie he had been eating before yawning once more. Ron had badgered Hermione all the way to Draco's dormitory about sneaking into the kitchens and nicking some food. Before she left, Hermione left the book with Draco that had the information for the Room of Seasons. She bid Harry good night, as well as Draco, though a bit reluctantly, and was pushed out of the room by a hungry Ron.

"Come on, Harry," Draco muttered, shuddering at the sound of his name leaving his mouth. "It's time for bed." It wasn't very late, but the events of the day had worn both of them out. Harry made his way up the stairs, almost falling over with exhaustion. They entered Draco's room and he helped Harry into a pair of pyjamas. The small boy was practically asleep already. Draco then helped him into a small bed that had been set up. It rested against the wall near the balcony that opened up into the living room. Draco then climbed into his own bed, his pillow feeling like heaven.

Just as he was nodding off, he felt a weight on the bed and a small tap on his arm. Opening an eye, he saw emerald eyes glinting at him in the darkness. "I'm cold," Harry whispered. He was shivering pretty violently. Very reluctantly, Draco moved over and closed his eyes. He was pretty surprised when he felt Harry curl up against him, the top of his head resting underneath his chin. Sighing, Draco brought the blanket up and covered Harry, who had snuggled his face against Draco's neck and was already fast asleep. _I guess I better get used to this _had been his last coherent thought before drifting off to sleep.

- - -

Please review! Oh, who's seen the Prisoner of Azkaban? They did a great job with it. I'm seeing it again later this week! Heh. Thanks for reading!

...TBC...


	6. Memories through Dreams

Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. It just didn't come to mind as quickly as the last few did. Also, not being home that often didn't help the matter. Heh. I'd like to thank one of my two beta readers, Izzyyish, for helping with this chapter. I desperately needed help with this one. I'd also like to thank all who reviewed, and answer any questions.

**magicalme32:** The point of the Room of Seasons is that it's a place where Draco can take Harry since they can't be seen. It would be difficult to make it outside without being caught one way or another.

**Munku-JGSPTV:** Though it wasn't a question, I'd like to apologize for the PoA comment. Heh. I hope you liked the movie all the same, and I'm really glad you liked the last chapter!

Okay, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_Sighing, Draco brought the blanket up and covered Harry, who had snuggled his face against Draco's neck and was already fast asleep. 'I guess I better get used to this' had been his last coherent thought before drifting off to sleep._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 6:** Memories through Dreams

_Frightened yells, shrieks of pain, and the sounds of battle sliced through the night air. People of all ages were running frantically in every direction across the once peaceful Hogwarts grounds. All around Harry, others were falling to the ground, whether they were dodging a spell or... No, he did not want to think about that right now. Healers seemed to be appearing out of nowhere to heal the fallen. _

_Without noticing much around him, Harry sprinted through the crowd of witches and wizards fighting against those from the opposing side. It was difficult to see which side was winning or losing; both were equally matched. He ran by unnoticed, since everyone else was preoccupied with his or her own dilemmas. Harry could tell he was nearing his destination; the number of Death Eaters was steadily increasing. Where there were more Death Eaters, there was Voldemort. _

_Spells began flying at Harry from every direction. A jet of emerald green light hit the ground a short distance to the right of him. As the dust cleared, the sound of coughing caused him to turn around, his wand brandished. The sight of his blonde enemy caused Harry's heart to race. If he didn't stay on guard, Draco could cast any of the Unforgivables on him, defeating him for good. _

"_What do you want, Malfoy?" he snarled, casting hexes in every direction, trying to hit the oncoming Death Eaters. "Why aren't you with the rest of the Inner Circle protecting Voldie?" _

_A hand was beginning to make its way up toward Harry's throat from behind him. Before a curse was heard, he spun around and, putting most of his strength into his wand, shouted, "_Diffindo!_"_ _The Death Eater fell back, clutching his chest as crimson blood began soaking his black robes. He turned around to look at the blonde, who had his eyebrow raised. His silver gaze was settled on the writhing Death Eater. _

_That was when emerald met silver. Draco looked as though he was fighting an internal battle against himself about whether he should say what was on his mind or not. Disgusted, he grabbed Harry by the wrist and pulled him over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry yanked his arm away from Draco angrily. _

"_What is wrong with you, Malfoy?" he whispered dangerously. "There are innocent people dying out there, and all you can do is drag me away from them? Or is it because you're too afraid to kill me in front of everyone else? Afraid to --" He was cut off as Draco put a hand over his mouth to silence him, the blonde earning himself a glare from the Gryffindor. _

"_Potter, just shut the hell up and listen to me for once," Draco spat, pushing Harry away from him and wiping his hand on his robes. _

"_Why should I listen to you, Malfoy?" Harry replied. "Every time I tried to listen to you, I ended up on the ground with a wand pointed at my chest." _

"_Damn it, Potter!" Draco shouted, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "This is important!" He then threw his wand into the nearest bush. "Look, now I'm unarmed." Harry continued to glare at him, and then nodded, though he did so reluctantly. _

"_Fine," he muttered. "Now, what could be so important?" Draco scowled at his feet and let out a long sigh. Harry waited for a few moments, and still Draco said nothing. He was just beginning to leave when the blonde whispered something incoherently. _

_Harry turned around. "Come again?" He earned himself a glare but the blonde repeated himself anyway. _

"_I'm fighting for the Light side. Did you hear that, Potter? I'm not some Death Eater wannabe like you and your faithful sidekicks have thought these many years." _

_Harry's jaw fell open, looking as though he couldn't process this new information. He then narrowed his eyes at Draco. _

"_Exactly why are you telling me this?" _

"_Bloody hell, Potter!" Draco shouted, losing all of his patience. "Are you that daft! I want to help you defeat Voldemort!" Harry's face went blank, looking as though his head was ready to explode at any given moment. He attempted to say something in return, but his voice failed him. Instead, he stood there, not taking his eyes off of the blonde, who then rolled his eyes. _

"_Yes, Potter," he mumbled, sounding as though he was talking to a five year old. "_I_, the son of a Death Eater, wish to help _you_, the Boy-Who-Lived, defeat Voldemort." Harry just looked at the ground, massaging his temples. _

"_Why?" he asked, his voice coming out as a hoarse, strained whisper. _

"_Do I look like the type of person who would go on bended knee to kiss some..._ thing's_ robes?" Draco's agitation was beginning to make an appearance on his face. "Never, in my life, will I ever come near that nasty half-blood on my own free will." The Slytherin shuddered at the very thought. Harry, ignoring the half-blood remark, looked as though he was ready to go insane with all of this unbelievable information. _

"_What about your father?" _

"_I don't need to worry about him," Draco replied. He let out an agitated sigh when he saw Harry's confusion. "He couldn't care less about what happens to me. He'll never know what happened. He'll just think it was you and won't give another thought about it." Harry nodded again, though he didn't look thoroughly convinced. _

_Before another word could be uttered between the two of them, a jet of green light hit a tree close to where they were standing, causing it to go up in flames. _

"_Come on!" Harry yelled, getting ready to sprint back into the large throng. Just before he could get anywhere, Draco pulled him back into the seclusion of the trees. _

"_I'm warning you now, Potter," he hissed, pointing his retrieved wand at the Gryffindor. "If you breathe so much as one word about this to anyone, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands." Harry nodded his understanding, not giving that statement much thought but stored it in the back of his mind. What else would be expected from a Slytherin? _

_After pulling himself out of Draco's death grip, they both ran out into the open. Upon seeing Harry, the Death Eaters quickly got themselves organized. He looked around, not seeing the blonde anywhere. _I knew it! _he thought frantically. _This was just some ploy to get me killed!_ He mentally kicked himself for being so trustful. He began turning around on the spot, looking for any weak spot in their line of defence. The Death Eaters were steadily circling him, growing closer. The thought of escaping now seemed utterly useless; he decided to wait for the fate that has most likely been waiting for him. He began having trouble breathing. There were just too many; there was no way he'd ever be able to take all of them on single-handedly. _

_Before Harry realized what was happening, a pair of hands attached themselves to his neck. The Death Eater forced him to the ground, pinning him, and crushing his lungs. The pressure on his windpipe laboured his breathing even more. The white mask on the unknown man's face swam eerily in front of him as his vision blackened. There wasn't even a way he could send for help. _So this is what death is like_, he thought hazily. _It could be worse. Just never thought it would be at the hands of a Death Eater_...Just as Harry was drawing what he thought was his last breath, the weight on his body disappeared. The sounds of a scuffle were heard only a few feet away. _

_Harry got onto his hands and knees and began coughing horribly, trying to get some oxygen back into his lungs. As his vision cleared, Harry saw a Death Eater on the ground, attempting to dislodge something...or someone. He saw a flash of gold, or was that silver? His vision still wasn't clear enough to tell for sure. He thought he saw a flash of pale skin amongst the black robes, but that could have been his oxygen-deprived mind playing games with him. _

_Before Harry could give it anymore thought, the Death Eater slumped to the ground, a knife straight through his chest. His attacker stood up, breathing heavily. Harry rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision. The sight that was brought before him made his jaw drop. Draco Malfoy had just slain a Death Eater. His pale skin was shining dully with perspiration, his blonde hair matted to his head. There was a long gash along his left cheek that was bleeding freely and blood was trickling over his forehead from a wound hidden beneath his hair. He leaned over the Death Eater and pulled the knife out of his chest. Harry hung his head, his stomach churning. Despite all of the things he has seen these many years, this just seemed wrong. _

_After being momentarily paralyzed, seeing a Malfoy, of all people, slay someone who was loyal to the Dark Lord, the others began stirring. Wands were pointed at the blonde, Harry lying there unnoticed. He attempted to stand up, but almost fell over. His vision swam, and the world tilted at an odd angle. He crumpled to the ground, unable to support himself. Harry never felt so useless in his entire life, except when he was with the Dursleys, but this was a completely different situation. The fate of the entire Wizarding world was now resting in his hands. _

_As he closed his eyes and waited for the circling Death Eaters to attack, he heard the sound of metal against metal. Laughter spread through the army of men like a wave. A raspy voice could be heard saying, "What are you going to do with that, Blondie, swing it at us?" More laughter could be heard following this, and Harry tried to imagine what was taking place around him. He could hear them getting closer, but if he opened his eyes the slightest bit, he had a feeling he would end up losing consciousness. _

_In his mind, a picture began forming, and he saw Draco with some sort of large weapon. That had to be what that sound was, he thought. Knowing a Malfoy, it had to be something very dangerous. He could almost hear the blonde smirking. The footsteps were growing closer. Harry just stayed where he was, awaiting his doom. _

_Before any spell could be cast, a war cry ripped through the air. The footsteps immediately came to a halt as someone began screaming in agony. That was when they all went into a frenzy. Spells were immediately being shouted, which Harry thought would be aimed at him. _

_Just as Harry began thinking he was in the clear, a curse hit him in the small of his back. He never heard the incantation, yet with the sensation of being stabbed with millions of white-hot knives, he knew it was the Cruciatus Curse. He screamed in agony as his whole body convulsed horribly, his arms and legs bending in at odd angles. His mind was blank, unable to process any coherent thought. This looked like it would be the end of Harry Potter, suffering from one of the most horrible curses known to man. There was nothing he could do as darkness began to overtake him... _

_As Harry was brought around, he saw the dim outline of a person kneeling in front of him, attempting to put him in a sitting position. What felt like a small vial was pushed into his hands. His mind swam, but something told him there were a few good reasons why he shouldn't drink whatever was contained inside it. "Just drink it, Potter, it's not poison," the person said, sounding far away. He put the vial to his lips, hesitated for a moment, and downed the contents in one gulp. The potion felt cold going down and the intense pain in his limbs was steadily ebbing away. _

_Draco Malfoy came into focus in front of him. He looked around them quickly, looking for any Death Eaters, but there were none in sight. Feeling confused, he tried to stand up, but his light-headedness told him that that hadn't been a very good idea. Draco stood up and supported some of his weight. _

"_Where did they all go?" Harry asked, his speech somewhat slurred. He saw something glinting at Draco's waist, but the blonde tapped it with a finger and it was gone. _

"_Not sure," Draco answered, looking around for anyone lurking in the shadows. He put Harry's left arm around his shoulders and began pulling him along. "They could be back, so it's best to keep an eye out." They steadily made their way across the grounds. Harry spotted a few bodies, but they were so mutilated, they were barely recognizable; several limbs were missing and their faces were contorted into gruesome expressions. The black robes and white masks lying beside them were what gave them away. A wave of nausea washed over the Gryffindor. _

"_What did you do to them," he whispered, averting his gaze to his feet. Draco didn't seem to care about what he had done. _

"_I killed them," he answered, shrugging. Harry glared at him. _

"_I could tell that much, Malfoy, but what the hell did you use?" _

"_A sword," he answered. Harry waited for more, but it didn't seem like Draco was going to be saying anything else. Harry clenched his jaw, trying to keep what he really thought of the blonde in his mind, not spilling out of his mouth. _

"_Where did you get it?" he managed to say. _

"_I found it hidden in Lucius' bedchamber," he answered. "There were wards, but I've gotten through them before so it wasn't that difficult. If he wasn't going to use it, why should it just lie there and become covered in dust? I nicked it after the bastard had been summoned by the power-hungry half-blood." Draco made it sound like the easiest thing in the world to be able to sneak into a Death Eater's room and taking something of theirs without them knowing. "It's able to be sent back to where it was kept. Who would want to carry a heavy piece of metal around anyway, especially during a war?" _

_For the next few minutes, Harry remained silent, going over this new information. Where could Draco's father have gotten a hold of such a dangerous and obviously powerful weapon? _He probably stole it from a dark wizard he had murdered_, Harry thought bitterly. But who would ever make such a thing that would do that to people? Some psycho, that's who... _

_Moments later, Harry noticed that they had stopped at the base of a steep hill, the top just out of their range of sight. That was when it dawned on him that it had been pretty simple for them to make their way through a battleground. Too simple...There should have been Death Eaters swarming in upon them, trying to get to Harry, but that hadn't happened. This wasn't a good sign... _

_Draco's voice brought Harry back from his disturbing thoughts. _

"_I'll go first, just in case they try to ambush us," he muttered. "You're needed to help save the Wizarding world, and you better not take that as a compliment. We don't need your ego, as well as that abnormally large head of yours, growing any larger." _

"_Malfoy, shut your face and get walking already," Harry snapped at the blonde. "Voldemort's not going to wait all day." Draco, who looked like he would rather kill Harry himself, clenched his jaw and began stalking up the hill. Harry stayed close behind him, his wand out. _

_As they continued up the hill, trees were growing scarce. Some were blackened and badly damaged, while others were morphed into impossible shapes. _What the hell has been going on up here, _Harry thought. He was almost too nervous to answer that question. _

_Several moments passed in silence and anxiety. There was no clue shown to them about what could possibly be waiting for them. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry thought for one brief second that he saw movement. He quickened his pace, his breath coming out in short gasps. The climb has been very tiring. _

_After what felt like forever, they reached the top of the hill. For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Harry's jaw dropped. Standing in front of them were about twenty or so Death Eaters, all standing in a straight line with their wands raised. Right behind them stood the man who had attempted to kill Harry on so many occasions. Lord Voldemort was standing on a raised platform. His thin lips formed a ghastly grin. _

"_So, you have finally decided to join us," the cruel man hissed. "I was wondering when you would arrive at our nice reunion." He let out a cruel laugh and turned to look at his followers. "Well, what are you waiting for? Kill them!" _

_As one, the Death Eaters surged forward toward the young wizards. Taken by surprise, Harry yelled out the first spell that came to mind. "_Expelliarmus!_"_ _A jet of red light shot from his wand and hit a Death Eater. His wand flew out of his hand toward Harry, who did the only thing that made sense; he snapped it in half. Next to him, Draco was shouting Unforgivables like there was no tomorrow. One Death Eater was hit in the chest with the Cruciatus Curse. He fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry, who had never attempted an Unforgivable, brought forth all of the hatred he has felt toward these men for the last few years, aimed his wand at the nearest Death Eater, and shouted, "_Imperio!_"_ _He felt a surge of triumph when the man's face went slack and his eyes went out of focus. The Gryffindor closed his eyes and thought hard...'_Kill your fellow followers...Attack them...Make sure they suffer..._' _

_Raising his wand above his head, the man shouted a curse. Though his voice couldn't be heard above the others, Harry noticed the jet of green light that issued from his wand. It collided with another Death Eater, who promptly fell to the ground in a motionless heap. Harry then noticed that he was being surrounded. He had been so preoccupied with what he was doing that he hadn't been watching the others. He couldn't see Draco through the gaps between the men. One of the men grinned evilly at the Gryffindor, his wand raised. _

"Crucio!_"_

_Once again, Harry found himself on the ground, feeling as though he was being stabbed to death by white-hot knives. His eyes rolled in his head, his scar bursting with pain. He was about to give in to the darkness when another voice was heard close by. _

"Stupefy!_" There was a flash of red and the man who had cast the curse upon Harry was on the ground, unconscious. Harry stopped screaming, but the pain was still there. He stood up and attempted to get away from the others. One Death Eater had his wand pointed at the blonde. _

"Imperio!_"_ _Draco's face went blank. Harry had no idea what he was being told to do, but when the blonde began making his way toward him, his wand raised, he got the picture. He dove to the ground as a jet of red light missed him by inches. _

"_Malfoy, snap out of it!" Harry yelled, hoping to get through. "You made it this far! You're a strong wizard!" He stood up quickly with his wand ready. He had no idea how to free him from the Death Eater's control. Keeping a close watch on the blonde, he racked his brain for any ideas. Then one hit him. _

_Raising his wand, Harry shouted, "_Expelliarmus!_"_ _Draco's wand flew out of his hand and into Harry's, who pocketed both. He advanced on the Slytherin. Hoping what he was about to do would work, or at least get through to him a little, Harry pulled back his arm, his hand in a fist, and punched Draco in the face. The blonde staggered backwards and fell to the ground, a bruise already forming on his cheek. Harry kneeled next to him, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him violently. _

_He was just about to give up when the blonde returned the favour. Harry fell back, his hand over his cheek, which was now throbbing painfully. "What the bloody hell did you do that for!" Draco shouted. Harry glared at him and bit back the many insults that came to mind. _

"_I had to think of something that would make you snap out of it!" the Gryffindor yelled, his temper rising. The blonde was now on his feet. He stalked over toward Harry and pulled him to his feet. _

"_Let's get that nasty half-blood while they're busy," he said to Harry. He jerked his thumb in the direction of the remaining Death Eaters, who were now laughing so hard they had trouble standing up. Apparently they thought the sight of two people fighting on the same side but against each other was pretty funny. _

_They carefully made their way toward the platform. Voldemort was glaring in the direction of his followers. Harry thought that this was the perfect time to attack. "_Expellia_--" He was unable to finish the incantation due to the fact that Draco pushed him to the ground. He was thankful when he saw the jet of green light pass overhead. Apparently they had been seen. _

"_Nice try, Potter, but do you believe me to be that daft?" Voldemort muttered, laughter hidden in his voice. He then raised his wand, aiming it at Harry's chest. "Now, let's finish this. Say farewell, Pot--" _

_Before the man could finish his sentence, both Harry and Draco raised their wands. As one, they shouted, "_Avada Kedavra!_"_ _Green light issued from their wands and met in midair, forming one spiralling jet aimed at the man. The curse hit him squarely in the chest, his eyes widened as he fell from the platform, Harry's scar searing with pain for the last time..._

- - -

Harry awoke, his eyes wide with fear. He instantly began sobbing, his face buried into the pillow. His crying woke Draco. "What's wrong?" Harry looked at him fearfully.

"There was a lot of people, all of them getting hurt," Harry choked out. "There were these mean men that kept hurting us, like they were trying to kill us. We helped each other kill this man and --" He then looked very confused. "I seemed older," he whispered, "but you looked the same." The young Gryffindor then began sobbing again as Draco tried to put this together. It then dawned on him...

"_The war_," Draco whispered, his eyes wide. Harry wasn't supposed to be able to remember anything. Draco had no idea how Harry had dreamt about it, but it couldn't be good. Draco jumped out of bed and pulled on his cloak.

After picking up Harry, he ran as quickly as he could down the stairs and toward his closet. He pulled out his Invisibility cloak. Making sure Harry was next to him, he threw it over the both of them. "Come on, Potter, we're going to go see the Headmaster." He grabbed Harry by the arm and they both ran out of the portrait hole.

- - -

Hope you liked it. It took a while to think of how to end the war. Sorry if it wasn't what you expected! I'll take any suggestions for what to put into upcoming chapters. I'm also trying to think of a new title. If there are any suggestions, say something! Make sure to leave a review. Thanks!

...TBC...


	7. What the hell just happened?

Hi, all. Sorry it took so long to update. I haven't been able to get on much, what with school starting and all. I have another chapter after this already typed and beta-ed, so another update will be put up soon enough. Oh, and to answer a question a couple of you had for the last chapter, yes, the war did already happen. More will be explained in this chapter.

Anyway, here ya go!

And of course I'd love to thank my wonderful beta for putting up with me. Otherwise, this story wouldn't be fit for posting. Thanks, Izzy!

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_Making sure Harry was next to him, he threw it over the both of them. "Come on, Potter, we're going to go see the Headmaster." He grabbed Harry by the arm and they both ran out of the portrait hole._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 7:** What the hell just happened?

Draco stopped in front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office and fell to his knees, his lungs desperate for oxygen. It was no mean feat running that far of a distance. The Invisibility Cloak had long since fallen off of them farther down the corridor. Harry leaned against the wall and slid down into a sitting position on the floor. He looked very tired, extremely confused, and thoroughly shaken.

"_I _**-**_ Ice Mice_," Draco managed after catching his breath. The gargoyle moved aside to reveal the ever-familiar spiralling staircase. Harry peeked around the edge of the opening in the wall and observed the stairs ascending with mounting curiosity. Draco stood up, grabbed Harry by the hand, and pulled him onto the bottom step.

When they reached the very top, Draco knocked on the large oak door. A low "come in" was heard from inside. It was no surprise to Draco that the Headmaster was up during the early hours of the morning. With Harry by his side, he opened the door and entered the spacious circular office.

Professor Dumbledore was seated at his desk, wearing a midnight blue night robe and surrounded by stacks of parchment and assorted contraptions. He looked up from the long piece of parchment he had been writing on and laid down his quill. A worried expression crossed over his feature before he gave both of them a small smile.

After conjuring up a chair in front of his desk, the Headmaster motioned for Draco and Harry to sit down. Draco eyed Dumbledore with no expression making an appearance on his face before sitting down and pulling Harry onto his lap. Harry adjusted his position, squirming to find a comfortable spot. Draco's eyes widened, the movement very uncomfortable against certain parts of his body. When Harry stopped, after what seemed like forever for Draco, he leaned back against the blonde's chest and rested his head against his right shoulder. As if acting upon instinct, Draco ran his slender fingers through the small boy's midnight locks. Harry's eyes fluttered closed as if he was being lulled by the blonde's gentle touch. Draco couldn't help but smile slightly at the small boy's innocence.

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Draco's head snapped up at the noise, then he realized what he had been doing. His hand froze and fell to his side. A sudden wave of anger washed over him, and he began to wonder whether the man had put him in this seating situation on purpose. But before the blonde could say what he really thought of the man, the latter began speaking.

"Now, what's the reason for your sudden visit, Mr. Malfoy?" the Headmaster questioned, suddenly growing solemn. "Please explain." Harry stirred at the sound of the man's voice and opened his eyes, now alert. He sat up a little more, much to Draco's relief, as he was growing quite uncomfortable. At the same time, the blonde was feeling slightly triumphant; so the man didn't know everything, as everyone seemed to think.

"Well, this is still a bit confusing, as well as out of place," Draco began, suddenly feeling reluctant to explain this to the man. "I specifically remember Granger saying something to Weasley about Potter not being able to remember anything that happened during the past twelve years. Well, a little less than an hour ago, he woke up sobbing and said he dreamed about people fighting and dying, and that he seemed older. The only thing I could make that out to be is of a war, but he isn't supposed to remember anything." He stopped to catch a breath, all the while glaring at the man, who seemed oblivious. Once again he was feeling as though he was put up to this on purpose. "That's why it doesn't make any sense. I don't know whether this is a rare case when he can remember things or he just isn't in his right mind."

"That does seem out of place," the Headmaster said thoughtfully, more to himself than to Draco. "Maybe it would be best to have Mr. Potter explain it himself in more detail."

_Oh, well done! _Draco thought sarcastically. _Why didn't you think of that in the first place?_ The Headmaster stood up and walked over to where they were seated, looking intently at the small Gryffindor.

"Okay, as much as this may upset you, Harry, I'd like you to tell me exactly what you saw in that dream," Dumbledore said quietly. His piercing blue gaze must have stirred something in Harry, who buried himself under Draco's arm. It seemed to have worked, for he began speaking, though quietly.

"There were people running everywhere," Harry began weakly, looking as though he would rather be anywhere but here, reliving the horrible nightmare. "I seemed older, like Draco." He paused, looking up at the blonde fearfully. Draco felt an odd rush of sympathy for the small boy, but it passed as quickly as it came. "Many people were being hurt and there was a lot of scary men wearing black. I saw Draco and he wanted to help me kill this man that we didn't like. His name was Volder...Voldi..." He stopped, looking highly confused and irritated that he couldn't remember.

"Voldemort," Dumbledore finished, instantly receiving a nod from Harry, who still looked frightened and pale.

"Draco told me not to tell anyone that he was going to help **--**" Harry instantly stopped himself, quickly putting a hand over his mouth and looked up at Draco. His emerald eyes were as wide as ever. "I didn't mean to say it," he said, his voice now high-pitched with fear. "Please don't hurt me." He leaned away from the blonde, his whole body shaking, not taking his emerald gaze off of him.

"It's okay, Harry," the Headmaster said in soothing tones. "We are already aware of this situation. Please continue." Harry's expression instantly relaxed. Casting one last fearful glance at Draco, Harry began speaking, looking down at his feet.

"Those scary men kept trying to hurt us," Harry said quietly. "Draco even killed one, but he got hurt." He then turned around to face the blonde once more, getting up on his knees. He ran a small finger down Draco's left cheek, tracing the faint but visible battle scar. The blonde closed his eyes for a brief moment. He now felt a faint tingling sensation along his cheek where Harry had touched him. He was also hit by a wave of memories of what had happened, memories he thought he wouldn't have to relive.

Dumbledore watched the scene in front of him with faint fascination; who would have ever thought there would be a point in time where the two boys in front of him would ever get along? He also felt troubled; if Harry was able to relive this with such detail, what else could he possibly be able to see?

The Headmaster was brought back to reality by Harry's quiet voice. "I was hit with...something that felt like fire. My whole body felt like it was burning. I felt like I was going to die." The small Gryffindor began trembling. As if acting upon impulse, Draco wrapped his arms around the boy, trying to calm him. He knew the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, having learned them in fourth year, and he had witnessed Harry being its target multiple times during the battle. "A lot of other things happened," Harry continued, wearing a pained expression. It looked as if he was trying to remember something, but how someone would want to remember what had happened would be beyond anyone's guess.

Harry buried himself deeper in Draco's embrace. "The last thing I remember is me and Draco saying weird words and a lot of green light. I also remember my head feeling like it would split apart." He reached up to his forehead and touched the ever-familiar lightning scar. The Headmaster nodded, a worried expression flitting across his features.

"Well, I have come up with a possible explanation for this, Mr. Malfoy," the man informed Draco. "Even though he has decreased in age, he has still been with us for a little over seventeen years. I am wondering if it is possible that his memories of those past years have been stored in the very back of his mind, and he is now reliving them only through dreams. He just won't realize that those particular things have actually happened." Draco nodded, this theory making at least some sense. He looked down at Harry, who was now asleep. How he could fall asleep that fast was beyond Draco's imagination.

It was then that Draco's lack of sleep hit him hard. His eyelids felt heavy and his muscles were straining to support his weight. He glanced out of the window and noticed that there was a faint glow on the horizon, signalling the beginning of the sunrise.

The Headmaster must have noticed Draco's lack of energy as well. He stood up and went over to a cabinet that hung on the far wall close to the window. After unlocking it with numerous keys, he opened it and pulled out a small vial of potion. "I would now like the two of you to head back to your dormitory and get some sleep." He handed the vial to Draco. "This is just a simple Sleeping Draught. I would like you to give some to Harry. It will allow him to sleep peacefully without the nightmares. Due to his small size, he will only need a small dosage. You can leave the rest for yourself so you can sleep peacefully as well." Draco nodded.

That was when he realized he was holding Harry. Disgusted with himself, he let go of the boy, who instantly woke from his light sleep due to the sudden movement. He looked up at the blonde, a pout pulling at the corners of his mouth. He climbed off of his lap and went to stand behind Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked down at Harry, who now looked upset. Draco stood up slowly and stretched, his eyelids feeling as heavy as ever. After pocketing the vial, he bent down to pick up Harry, but the boy moved out of his reach.

"I want to walk," Harry said, not looking directly at the blonde. Draco figured that the small Gryffindor was upset at him for waking him up like that. Draco rose an eyebrow at the boy, but only received a glare in return. Instead, Draco held out a hand for Harry to take. Harry glanced at the blonde's outstretched hand before placing his small one in it, looking reluctant.

Draco turned, getting ready to leave the office, before Dumbledore stopped him. "Just be careful, Draco," he said quietly. "If something out of the ordinary happens, such as this, you'll know where to find me." With that said, the Headmaster opened the large oak door and showed them out. Draco and Harry stepped onto the spiralling staircase and descended.

The sunlight was casting a dim glow along the corridor. Draco led Harry to a staircase and they began making their way down. Harry was walking sluggishly, his eyes half-closed. Ignoring the boy's half-hearted protests, Draco picked him up and carried him down. Harry instantly quieted and rested his head against Draco's shoulder.

They reached the entrance hall in a matter of moments. The castle was pretty quiet, the fact being that it was still pretty early. Harry shifted slightly in Draco's arms, but stayed asleep.

"_Malfoy?_"

The voice stopped Draco dead in his tracks. He turned quickly and saw the youngest Weasley, along with a group of friends, all sleepy-eyed and tousle-haired. She instantly stepped back a few paces. "I thought you were sick, and **--**" She the gasped, her mouth agape. Her hand then flew up to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Is that _Harry_?" she shrieked. She peered at him; the glasses and exposed scar gave her the answer. Her friends began whispering among themselves.

Draco looked at them all, thoroughly confused. _But how can they see_­** -- **He instantly stopped his thought as something clicked...He'd forgotten to retrieve his Invisibility cloak.

"But -- but what the hell _happened _to him?" Ginny, whose face was the exact same shade of red as her hair, looked intently at Harry. She hurried over toward them and began shaking him gently, trying to wake him. "Harry," she whispered. "Harry, wake up."

Harry stirred before those stunningly green eyes opened, looking slightly glazed over. When he saw Ginny's face a mere few inches from his own, his eyes widened in fright. He quickly buried his face against Draco's neck, clinging to the blonde for protection. Ginny eyed Harry, her face expressionless, before rounding on Draco. "What have you done to him?" she asked, her voice now a deathly whisper. "Why is he acting like **--**" She stopped herself, averting her gaze to something over Draco's right shoulder. She looked as if she was ready to speak, but someone else cut her off.

"Mr. Malfoy, hurry through that door to your right and close it tightly behind you," a voice whispered in his ear. "Go!" Draco didn't hesitate. He turned quickly and threw open the door; he caught a quick glimpse of Professor McGonagall pulling out her wand before he slammed the door behind him. He found himself crammed in a broom closet.

Casting dirty looks at the cobwebs that decorated almost every empty space, Draco turned to face the door. Ginny's angry shrieks penetrated through the solid oak. He could also hear Professor McGonagall's voice among the redhead's, but hers sounded a bit reassuring. Draco's temper was beginning to rise along with Ginny's voice, his brain searching for an answer to why he was told to come in this closet of filth. Harry was getting restless, fidgeting against Draco, but not daring to utter a word.

The answer to his question came a moment later when he heard a loud "_Obliviate!_" from the other side of the door. The flash of light was bright enough to be seen through the cracks in the doorframe, dimly illuminating the closet for a brief moment. Draco then heard rapid footsteps heading in their direction. Professor McGonagall threw the door open, looking extremely harassed. She grabbed Draco by the arm and pulled him out, dragging him along with her. "We have to hurry," she said breathlessly. "They will be regaining their composure soon enough." Draco chanced a glance at the redhead and her group of friends, all looking dazed and lost. Draco changed his hold on Harry, who was now looking frightfully at the other students.

When they arrived got to the dungeons, they slowed to a walk. They arrived at the portrait of the silver dragon that led to Draco's dormitory. That was when Professor McGonagall rounded on the Slytherin.

"What were you _thinking_, Mr. Malfoy?" she questioned, her voice strained. "You know you're not to be seen!" Her face was pale, though there were faint red patches in her cheeks. The pointed hat that sat on top of her head was slightly askew. "Explain yourself."

Draco sighed deeply before telling her about Harry's nightmare and their visit to the Headmaster. He also informed her about having accidentally leaving his Invisibility cloak behind. He said it all with reluctance, getting really sick of having to explain everything.

"But how could you be so careless?" she asked. "The spell I cast on those students may make them forget what they have seen, but that doesn't mean they won't be suspicious of anything when they regain their memories." She rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. "It would be best for you to go to sleep now as Professor Dumbledore has kindly suggested," she said after a few moments, opening her eyes and giving him a piercing look. She quickly cast a glance at Harry, who had his arms around Draco's neck, fighting to keep his eyes open, before saying, "I need to inform the Headmaster about this. Good day Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter." She turned on her heel and walked briskly down the corridor and out of sight.

His head pounding and Harry growing heavier with every passing moment, Draco turned to face the portrait. "_Salazar, King of Serpents_," he mumbled to it. It opened with a roar, causing Harry to jump slightly. Draco walked over the threshold and headed directly for the stairs, his feet feeling like lead, making every step difficult.

He finally entered his bedroom. Draco never thought he would be so happy to see a bed. It has never looked so comfortable. After putting Harry down, he leapt onto it, landing on his stomach. Something nagged at the back of his mind, telling him he was forgetting something. He rolled onto his side, his arm over his eyes. That was when he felt that 'something' digging into his leg. Putting his hand in his pocket, he felt something small and solid. He pulled it out and saw that it was the vial of Sleeping Draught that Professor Dumbledore had given to him before they left. The blonde then glanced at Harry, who was laying down on the carpet, gazing up at him.

"Come here, Potter," Draco mumbled, uncorking the vial. Harry stood up and walked a few steps toward him. The small Gryffindor eyed the purple liquid. "This will help you sleep. It will also stop you from having any nightmares." The blonde then motioned for Harry to come closer. The small boy obliged, stopping right in front of Draco, resting his small hands on the blonde's knees. Draco reached up, rested his hand on the back of Harry's head, and then rested the vial against his lips. The young Gryffindor tilted his head back and downed a small gulp of the purple liquid.

"It tastes funny," Harry said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Draco downed the rest of the potion, instantly agreeing with him; it did have an odd taste.

The potion's effects kicked in almost immediately. Draco's eyelids felt very heavy and Harry was fighting to keep his head up. The blonde crawled under the sheets and rested his head against the pillow. Before he fell asleep, he felt a small body move up against his own and a small pair of arms wrapping themselves around his neck once more.

- - -

Well, there ya go. Sorry that it took so long. I will make the next update very soon, so...yeah. I hope you liked this chapter. You all know what to do. Please review!

Oh, I'll still take suggestions. As for the title, I guess I'll keep it the way it is, unless I figure out a better one.

...TBC...


	8. Questions and more Confusion

Hi, all. Here's the chapter that was promised. I just hope it's soon enough, and I hope that they're long enough now. Just to let you know, there are fairies in this chapter, and I put my own twist on them, so...yeah. I hope you like this one! I tried to make it cute somewhat...

And of course I'd love to thank my wonderful beta for putting up with me. Otherwise, my story wouldn't be fit for being read. Thanks, Izzy!

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_The potion's effects kicked in almost immediately. Draco's eyelids felt very heavy and Harry was fighting to keep his head up. The blonde crawled under the sheets and rested his head against the pillow. Before he fell asleep, he felt a small body move up against his own and a small pair of arms wrapping themselves around his neck once more._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 8:** Questions and more Confusion

Draco awoke some few hours later, feeling a lot better than he had before he fell asleep. He also felt pretty warm, despite the cool dungeon atmosphere. Opening his eyes, the first thing Draco saw was a head of jet-black hair and felt a face pressed against his neck. Harry seemed to have found a way to drape himself over Draco's chest while he was sleeping. The small boy's arms were still wrapped around the blonde's neck. It felt oddly comforting, yet very wrong.

"Potter," he whispered. "Potter, wake up."

Harry stirred. He opened his eyes and looked up at Draco. His hair was ruffled in the oddest places, giving him that cute just-out-of-bed look. He pushed himself off of the blonde and slid off the bed. Draco swung his legs over the side and stood up, stretching. He then made his way over to his wardrobe, threw open the doors, and grabbed a set of clothes for himself and Harry

After grabbing Harry's hand, Draco led him out of the bedroom and down the hall. Stopping outside of the bathroom, he knelt down in front of the small Gryffindor.

"I'm going to get a shower now," he said. "You'll wait out here until I'm done, then I'll give you a bath." He then stood up, went back into his room, and came back with a piece of parchment and a quill with ink at hand a moment later.

"You can draw with these until I come out, okay?"

Harry nodded, a smile spreading out across his face as Draco laid them out in front of him. He was already working hard when Draco stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Sighing deeply, Draco turned toward the shower. After turning on the water, he stripped down and stepped in. The warm water felt soothing against his skin, his tense muscles relaxing. He leaned back, resting his head against the dark green tiles, letting the water wash over him.

While Draco lathered himself up, he contemplated about the things that have been happening over the last couple of days. He couldn't get over the fact that he was put in charge of a five-year-old version of his enemy of six years. A good thing is that Harry doesn't remember any of their past; otherwise, this would be a living hell for both of them. After washing his hair, Draco rinsed off thoroughly, turned off the water, and stepped out. He the grabbed his wand off of the marble counter and gave it a complicated wave, causing warm air to come out of the tip.

After drying himself off, he went over to the mirror and picked up a comb. He ran it through his platinum blonde hair and then took a quick glance at his reflection. Now that he no longer used gel to plaster his hair back, it was much easier to get ready in the morning. His hair now fell to about his eye level in soft locks. Draco pulled on a pair of boxers, followed by a pair of trousers. He wasn't going to bother putting on a shirt just yet; if he was going to assist Harry with his bath, what would the point be if he got wet?

Draco pulled the bathroom door open. Harry didn't even look up; he was so absorbed in what he was doing that he probably didn't even hear the door open. When Draco placed a hand on his shoulder, he jumped, dropping the quill and piece of parchment. That cleared up Draco's suspicion about Harry not hearing him come out.

"Your turn," Draco informed Harry when he had looked up at him. He motioned for the small Gryffindor to go into the bathroom, and then followed him inside, closing the door behind them. Draco then went over to the bathtub to run more water, adding bubbles as well for Harry's sake.

"Go ahead, you can get in now," Draco said once he had everything ready. At once Harry looked uncomfortable. His averted his gaze to his feet, wringing his hands.

"What's --" It then dawned on him why Harry was hesitating. Rolling his eyes, he turned around, waiting for the small Gryffindor to get ready. When he heard water splash, a signal that Harry had gotten in, he turned around.

Harry was immersed in the water, the bubbles coming halfway up his stomach. He was awed by the suds; they were a light green and had an apple scent. Whenever he popped one, a few more appeared in its place. Draco grabbed his wand, waved it, and used the warm water emanating from the tip to wet Harry's dark hair. After that was done, he grabbed the shampoo, which also smelled of apples, and lathered his hair. Harry's eyes fluttered closed as the blonde's slender fingers ran through his hair and across his scalp. Draco then waved his wand again, using the warm water to rinse him.

"Okay, I think you're done now," Draco said after Harry washed himself and he let him stay in the tub a few minutes longer. He turned around, facing the opposite wall, and raised his wand.

"_Evanesco_," he muttered. He heard Harry yelp; Draco knew he was surprised because the water disappeared without a trace. "There's a towel over there, and your clothes are right there," Draco said, pointing to each in turn before grabbing his own shirt and turning to leave the bathroom.

Right after Draco closed the door and buttoned up his shirt, he noticed something on the floor by his left foot. He instantly recognized it as the piece of parchment he had given to Harry to draw on while he was waiting. Picking it up, he looked at it more closely. He saw a drawing of the Snitch in good likeness and what appeared to be pictures of Harry and himself. It also looked as if the small boy was practicing his name. Draco couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly; a couple of the letters were backwards.

Harry came out of the bathroom a moment later, clad in a red collared shirt and a pair of black trousers. His hair was still dripping wet; Draco motioned for him to come closer. He waved his wand and dried Harry's hair, which ended up looking the same as it always did. Rolling his eyes, Draco pocketed the wand and started down the small flight of stairs. On the glass table was a tray containing two bowls of porridge, two goblets of orange juice, bacon, and toast.

Harry, who had followed the blonde downstairs, headed over toward it, a hungry expression crossing over his features. Kneeling down next to the table, he pulled a bowl close to him, picked up a spoon, and began eating. Draco grabbed the second one and sat down on the sofa. After eating in a strained silence, Harry sat back and looked around the room. His emerald gaze settled on one of the chairs. He stood up and headed over toward it.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing to what appeared to be a large piece of cloth that had been folded up and placed on the cushion. Draco, looking where the small Gryffindor was pointing, noticed it as once as his Invisibility cloak. _At least they had the sense to send it back, _he thought, standing up and retrieving the cloak. He noticed a small note pinned to it that merely read '_Be careful_.' A thought suddenly struck him as he let the liquid-like material slide between his fingers.

It's around lunch time so everyone else will be heading to the Great Hall. It wouldn't be difficult to make their way through the corridors.Grabbing a spare piece of parchment and a quill, Draco scribbled a quick note, then whistled for his eagle owl, Aeolus. The owl clamped the parchment in its beak and flew out of the high window. A moment later, a phoenix feather appeared in front of them, then disappeared in a burst of flame.

"Come on, Potter," Draco said, throwing the cloak over the both of them. "We don't need to stay _here _all day."

- - -

Ginny slumped down at a table by the fireplace, massaging her temples and glaring at the hearthrug. Something was bothering her, something that was out of place, but no matter how hard she racked her brain, the farther it seemed to slip away from her

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Ginny jumped, brought back to reality rather violently. She looked up to see Hermione sitting opposite her, wearing a look of concern. "Nothing," see said rather hastily, immediately regretting it. Hermione would never believe that.

As if reading her mind, the brunette crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head, a look that clearly said '_nice try_' written on her face. Moving closer, leaning on her elbows, Hermione locked her cinnamon brown gaze with Ginny's clear blue one.

"Spill it," she whispered quietly. The redhead sighed deeply, burying her face in her hands. She wasn't sure if she should lie to Hermione, just in case what she suspected was true.

'_However_,' a shrewd voice said in the back of her frazzled mind, '_if you _do_ tell her, she may be able to help_.'

_Right_...she thought, looking through her fingers at Hermione, who merely raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Well," Ginny began, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "You see, it's sort of complicated and confusing. This morning my friends and I were heading to breakfast. The problem is that we remember leaving our common rooms and meeting in the corridor, then it all went blank." She paused and looked at Hermione, who was looking at her with a thoughtful expression.

"What was the next thing you remembered after the blank in your memory?" the brunette questioned, casting a quick glance around the common room to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"At one point during breakfast, we seemed to come around from...whatever happened to us," Ginny continued, her eyebrows coming together as she spoke. "We didn't remember how we'd gotten there." She stopped once more, looking down at her hands. She didn't want to continue, but she had to. Otherwise, Hermione wouldn't be able to be of assistance.

"It only seemed to have happened to us, because everyone else was talking and laughing, so apparently nothing happened to them." Leaning closer, the redhead dropped her voice to just above a whisper. "You don't think we've been..._possessed_, do you?" Her clear blue eyes widened, fear clearly written in them.

Her fear has now been laid out on the table in front of them. Hermione's eyebrows knitted together as she tried to think of why the redhead would say something like that... Then it dawned on her. She thought back to her second year when Ginny was being controlled by none other than a sixteen-year-old Voldemort himself through a diary. That couldn't happen again, could it? After thinking for a moment, Hermione looked up at Ginny, who was anxiously waiting for her opinion.

Giving the redhead a comforting smile, she said, "I don't think that's what happened." Ginny's expression softened immediately, but she still looked expectant for answers.

"For one, Voldemort is gone, and he may have been one of the only wizards with the ability to do it." Hermione then paused before asking the question that had just seeped into her mind. "You didn't have any strange objects with you, ones you weren't familiar with?" She instantly relaxed when Ginny shook her head.

"No," Ginny replied. "No way in hell would I do that again after what had happened, especially after the stern talking to Mum sent my way. That was scary enough."

"Then most likely you weren't possessed."

"What could have happened, then?" Ginny asked in a strained voice. Hermione was now stumped. She looked around the common room as if searching for an answer. This was very confusing indeed. Did a student have a spell backfire and it affected them, or something along those lines?

Then it hit her. Ron's broken wand in their second year, always backfiring...Gilderoy Lockhart as their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Putting it all together, Hermione asked, "Do you think you could've had your memory modified?"

At that moment, Ron walked over to their table. "Hey, what's going on here?" he asked, looking from Hermione to Ginny and back again.

"Nothing," they both said quickly, causing Ron to raise an eyebrow. Ginny then looked back at Hermione, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then, without warning, she jumped out of her chair with enough force to knock it to the floor and dove across the table, looking relieved, and hugged a very surprised Hermione.

"Yes, that has to be it!" she exclaimed. Ron rolled his eyes and walked away, mumbling something where '_women_' was clearly distinguishable.

Ginny's outburst caused a group of second years to cast nervous glances in their direction. "Thank you so much!"

Hermione made to pat her back, but the redhead suddenly pulled away, looking highly confused. "But why?"

- - -

Draco opened the door to the Room of Seasons and stepped over the threshold with Harry at his heels. He threw the cloak off of them and proceeded farther inside. The blonde paused at the bank of the creek and looked into the crystal-clear water, which shimmered dully in the disappearing sunlight. Draco looked up and noticed dark clouds skirting across the ceiling.

"It's getting dark out there."

Draco turned to see Harry standing near the open wall, looking out at clouds identical to the ones above them. A slight chill passed through the room; Draco noticed Harry shiver slightly. Loosening the first couple of buttons on his shirt, the blonde sat down in the grass. He jumped slightly when he felt Harry unexpectedly sit down next to him. Harry sat up on his knees and moved closer to him. He reached up and ran one of his small hands through Draco's platinum blonde strands.

"It's so soft," the small Gryffindor said, grinning. He locked his emerald gaze with Draco's surprised grey ones. Harry then suddenly wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck and ended up sending them both to the ground. Ever so slowly, he moved closer to the blonde.

"I like you, Draco," he said. Draco's eyes widened; never could he imagine hearing those words leave the Gryffindor's mouth.

All of a sudden, Draco felt Harry tense against him. The Gryffindor was looking up at something behind him that he couldn't see. Harry pushed himself away from the blonde and put as much distance between them as he could. Draco had to reach out and grab Harry by the ankle to stop him from falling into the creek. He then turned to see what was causing Harry to act like this.

Hovering directly above Draco was a group of fairies, each a different colour. They were all peering at Harry, who moved closer to Draco for protection from the unfamiliar creatures, each with an interested expression plastered on her face.

"Draco, what are they?" he asked, his voice quivering slightly.

"We're fairies," a fiery red one answered, landing gently on top of the small Gryffindor's head. Up close, Draco noticed that they appeared to be extremely small young women with long hair and flowing dresses. They had transparent wings that matched the colour of their gown, hair, and the glowing aura that surrounded them.

"I'm Flamma, and they are Aerius, Circe, Aquarius, Natura, and Aquilus," she said, pointing to each in turn. Aerius, a pale blue fairy, landed next to Flamma and buried her face in Harry's hair.

"_Mmmmm_...He smells good enough to eat," she said, laying down on her stomach and peering into his emerald eyes. "He looks it, too," she added with a grin, causing his eyes to widen. Aquilus, a deep purple fairy, perched herself on Harry's shoulder.

"You smell like apples," she said, giving him a smile.

"Oooh, my _favourite_." Aquarius, an aqua blue fairy, hovered closer to Harry. "What do you say? Shall we see how he tastes?" she asked with a wicked grin. The other five nodded simultaneously, mischievous smirks appearing on their faces. They formed a half circle in front of him and began closing in. Then they went in for the kill.

Harry fell backwards into the grass, trying to shield himself as the creatures came at him from every angle, attempting to kiss every inch of his face that the could reach.

"Hey! That -- that tickles!" Harry managed through his laughter as their wings and hair brushed against his skin.

The fairies pulled away a moment later, leaving Harry panting in the grass, his face flushed from laughing so hard. Circe, a yellow fairy, licked her lips, looking thoughtful.

"He tasted just like I thought he would," she said, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Just like fresh apples after a rain shower," Natura added. Her green glow brightened as she grinned at him. "You have very nice eyes." She peered intently at Harry, who merely flushed a darker shade of red.

"They're green like me, but they're the most unique shade I've seen yet."

"He's just too _adorable_!" Circe exclaimed, pinching the small Gryffindor's cheeks. "It's so hard to come by someone this cute."

"Well, maybe not _that _hard," Aquilus added, catching sight of Draco for the first time. The other five turned to look at him as well.

"Maybe you're right," Flamma said, peering intently at the blonde. Behind the fairies, Draco saw Harry lie down and visibly relax. He looked relieved that they have left him alone.

"Your hair's like silk," Natura said, running her fingers through the blonde strands.

"So is Harry's," Circe added, perching herself on the small Gryffindor's forehead. She buried her face in the jet-black locks, her own golden strands splaying over them and making a noticeable contrast.

"How do you know my name?" Harry asked, going slightly cross-eyed as he tried to look up at Circe.

"There were two students here very early this morning," she replied. "One was a female with bushy brown hair and the other a male with red hair. I overheard them speak of a student who was hit by a spell and put into the hands of his enemy. I heard the name Harry and figured it was you," she said with a shrug. Circe then looked between Harry and Draco.

"You two don't _look_ like enemies, though," she added, flashing them a mischievous smirk.

Before Draco could come back with a retort, she changed the subject completely. "Did you know your eyes are the same shade of grey as storm clouds?" she asked, smiling innocently as though she'd never said anything wrong in the first place. When she winked at him, he was forcibly reminded of the day before when he left the Room of Seasons and saw a group of fairies winking at him. _They must be the same ones_, he thought miserably.

Draco was brought out of his thoughts when Flamma spoke. "Speaking of storm clouds, we should seek shelter very soon. I haven't seen clouds this dark for a long time. Dark clouds mean bad weather." The blonde raised an eyebrow at her. Did it ever rain in here?

All six fairies took to the air.

"It would probably be best to wait this one out in the knothole of a tree," Natura informed them. "If this is going to be as bad as it seems, hiding in a bush will be useless." They all nodded in agreement before flying off, all except Aquarius.

"What do you have against water? I'd like to know!" she called out huffily before flying after them. Draco rolled his eyes, feeling relieved that they were now gone, before turning his gaze to Harry, who was now sitting up and rubbing his forehead.

"I felt a raindrop," he said, looking up at the blonde. Draco looked up at the rolling grey clouds. After feeling a drop on his nose, he felt that his previous question has been answered. A flash of lightning illuminated the room briefly, followed by a loud crack of thunder that caused Harry to yelp in surprise. The blonde searched the ground for his wand, but only found his Invisibility cloak.

All of a sudden, it was as if the clouds had opened. The rain came down in icy sheets, drenching them within seconds. Draco gave up his search for his wand and grabbed Harry by the hand. He threw the wet cloak over them and proceeded out of the room.

Much to Draco's relief, the corridors were empty. Their trip to the dungeons was an easy one. Their only problem was that the dungeons were a great deal cooler than the rest of the school. Harry clung to the blonde for warmth, but Draco could still hear the small boy's teeth chattering. It was such a relief to get back to the dormitory. Draco threw the heavy cloak off of them and immediately hurried upstairs. After changing into warm dry clothes, he helped Harry do the same.

"I don't feel good," Harry said after Draco helped him put on a dry pair of socks. Draco sat back on his heels and looked at him. The small Gryffindor's complexion was much paler than normal and his lips had taken on a blue tint. He was shivering violently. Having been a Slytherin for almost seven years, Draco was used to the cool atmosphere of the dungeons. It must have been the exact opposite for Harry, who had spent most of his time up on the seventh floor.

Draco carried Harry into his bedroom and laid him down on the bed. He propped up a couple of pillows so that Harry was in a sitting position. The blonde made his way over to his wardrobe, opened the door, and grabbed a vial of red potion from a shelf. Harry eyed it briefly before he sneezed. Draco sat on the edge of the bed and uncorked the vial.

"This will help you feel better," he said as he helped Harry down some of the liquid. The small Gryffindor's eyes widened as he coughed, a little bit of steam coming out of his ears. He then curled up under the blanket and yawned, causing Draco to do the same. The blonde lay down as well, staring up at the ceiling. Harry instinctively moved closer to him for warmth.

The last thought that crossed through Draco's mind before drifting off was that even if he strongly disliked Harry, it was pretty difficult not to grow attached to him while he was in this state.

- - -

Hope you guys liked this one. It was a pain to write. I'm almost done the next chapter, so that may be up soon enought. Anyway, make sure to review. Let's get to 100. Only 20 away.

Oh, and I was wondering if anybody that's good at drawing would want to draw whichever scene from this story. It would be great to see how you guys have interpreted the writing. I like to draw, but I'm not too great. I usually just copy pictures off the computer. That's the only time they turn out really well. Heh. If you can do it, thanks. Just send it by e-mail if you're up to it. Thanks!

I'm also still open for suggestions, just to put it out there! If I draw a blank, the suggestions would be useful and I could work them in.

...TBC...


	9. Renewed Nightmares

Hey all! I got this chapter up sooner than I usually get others up. Yay! And I can't believe I'm almost at 100 reviews already. I _never_ thought I'd get that far, let alone so soon! So thanks to all of you faithful reviewers out there. There were a lot of 'cutes' for the previous chapter. Heh. Before we get to this chapter, there are a couple of questions to answer:

**ura:** I'm glad you like the story . As for the still-bitter-enemies thing, I decided to have them still hating each other, since I didn't want to have them together too soon. Jumping into things right away kind of drives me mad, so I'd rather take things a little slower. Heh.

**green eyed dragon: **Things may happen between them sooner than you thing XD. I hope the plot goes on fast enough to get to the slashinesss sooner rather than later.

And of course I'd love to thank my wonderful beta for putting up with me. Otherwise, my story wouldn't be fit for being posted. Thanks, Izzy!

**Warning! MAJOR spoilers in this chapter for all five books. I put my own twist on these scenes (since I was kind of lazy and I didn't want to copy them word for word...That's illegal anyway. But some of the quotes are actually from the books.). They are spoilers all the same.**

**Pairings: **DM/HP SLASH...Don't like, don't read! HINTS of the beginnings of RW/HG

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_The last thought that crossed through Draco's mind before drifting off was that even if he strongly disliked Harry, it was pretty difficult not to grow attached to him while he was in this state._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 9:** Renewed Nightmares

Harry rolled over in bed, moving as close as he could to Draco for warmth. The sleeping blonde was oblivious to the movement, but he wrapped his arms around the shivering Gryffindor as though protecting him. Harry snuggled closer, yawning, finally letting the darkness overcome him.

- - -

_Harry was in the Department of Mysteries, watching as the people he knew and loved dueled for the safety of others, as well as their own lives. His gaze skirted across the room, their fearful expressions making an imprint in his mind forever._

_All of a sudden, a loud, obnoxiously triumphant laugh echoed throughout the room for a brief moment, drowning out any other sounds. Harry whirled around so fast that he got a crick in his neck. The sight that was laid out before him caused his heart to skip a beat. As if in slow motion, the teen watched as his godfather fall off of the archway he had been dueling on and fall through the tattered veil below. He didn't come back through the other side._

"SIRIUS!_"_ _The name left Harry's mouth before he could stop it. He began stumbling down the stone steps and ran as fast as he could toward the dais, but he was stopped by Remus._

"_It's too late," the man said, his voice grave. Harry attempted to get by him, unsuccessfully thrashing and trying to dislodge himself from the older man's arms. He kept shouting, but Remus would not give in to him._

"_There's nothing you could do, Harry...nothing. He's gone."_

FLASH.

_The scenery changed. A fourteen-year-old Harry found himself standing amongst dozens of gravestones in the middle of a cemetery. He suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling of one being watched._

"_Where are we?" He turned to see Cedric Diggory standing next to him, a confused expression flitting across his handsome features._

"_I'm not su--" Harry suddenly stopped himself; the atmosphere was changing drastically. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up and he was getting gooseflesh. The atmosphere seemed...evil._

"Kill the spare._" The cold, high-pitched voice sent chills down Harry's spine. Before he could look for the source of the voice, there was a shouted incantation and a bright flash of green light. A thud was heard; Harry looked down to see Cedric lying on the ground, a horror-stricken expression plastered on his lifeless face._

_The scene dissolved; Harry found himself tied to a headstone in the same cemetery. The surrounding area wasn't visible through the thick steam emanating from a large cauldron placed close to his feet. A mousy looking man was lying at the base of it, his outline barely visible through the steam. The sudden boiling of liquid drowned out his constant whimpering. Then the outline of a man could be seen breaking the surface of the cauldron. _

"Robe me._"_

_The servant obeyed his master's command straightaway. Using his only hand, he assisted the taller man with his robes. When finished, he fell to his knees cradling his stump of an arm, his whimpering able to be heard once more. The man in the cauldron stepped out and began making his way over to Harry. His pale, skeletal face loomed out at him, the red eyes glinting dangerously..._

FLASH.

_Harry was kneeling close to the bank of the lake next to an unmoving Sirius Black. He had his wand pointed at the hundreds of dementors that were closing ranks. "_Ex -- Expecto Patronum,_"_ _he managed, his throat feeling constricted. The screaming in his head began as the dementors drew closer._

"No! _Don't kill Harry!" a woman pleaded shrilly, Harry recognizing the voice as his mother's. Her bloodcurdling scream filled his head as he fell to the ground, unconscious..._

FLASH.

_Harry was kneeling next to Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets. He gently touched her dangerously pale skin; it felt as cold as ice. His heart was pounding uncontrollably as he stood to face the sixteen-year-old memory of his archenemy. _

"_She's still alive, but only just," Tom Riddle said, a smirk playing on his lips._

_The scene dissolved, Harry finding himself standing atop the stone structure of Salazar Slytherin, a sixty-foot basilisk coming directly for him. Harry raised the sword in his right hand and thrust the blade through the roof of the snake's mouth. One of its fangs pierced his arm, the venom seeping into his veins..._

FLASH.

_An eleven-year-old Harry was standing before the Mirror of Erised. His reflection winked at him before placing the Philosopher's Stone in its pocket. Harry then felt the gentle weight of it in his own pocket._

_The scene dissolved, only to come together again to show Harry standing before his Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, who was unraveling his turban. The sight brought before the Gryffindor made his stomach churn; protruding from the back of the man's head was a face, one of a man with silted nostrils and red eyes, the very man that haunted his dreams._

"Harry Potter, we meet again,_" it said, it's voice hoarse and raspy._

_The scene changed. Harry reached out with sheer determination coursing through his veins. He thrust his hands onto his own teacher's face, watching as he writhed in pain and agony, his body crumbling to the ground in a pile of ash, setting free the evil spirit of Lord Voldemort._

FLASH.

_A baby Harry Potter sat and watched as the door to his bedroom was blasted down in a flash of white light. Beyond the threshold stood a man with pale, white skin and a snakelike face. Harry instantly began crying, watching as his mother stood, trying to protect him, but her life was swept away in a flash of green light. The man's red eyes then turned toward him, the thin-lipped mouth quirking into a smirk..._

- - -

Draco woke up abruptly, but wasn't sure why. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to think back to see if he had dreamt about anything frightening or surprising, but nothing came to mind.

That was when he felt movement to his right; looking down, he saw Harry thrashing in his sleep, his eyes shut tightly. He kept muttering, "No, no..." under his breath.

"Harry." Draco gently touched the thrashing Gryffindor on the arm. The small boy's eyes snapped open; he was breathing heavily and the sheet was wrapped around his torso. There was a very fine sheen of perspiration on his forehead. He looked up at the blonde, who was watching him carefully.

"Draco." he said suddenly, sitting up and wrapping his arms around the surprised blonde. The small Gryffindor's eyes filled with tears as he looked at Draco. "It was so scary..." He crawled onto the blonde's lap and curled up.

After burying his face against Draco's stomach, he began sobbing uncontrollably. The blonde wasn't sure what to do; going against his real, disgusted feelings for Harry, he held him closer and lifted the small Gryffindor's chin so that he was looking at him.

Those startling emerald green eyes were still filled with shining tears and his face was red and splotchy from his crying. As a tear slid down his cheek, Draco reached up and wiped it away using his thumb. After he did so, something stirred inside the blonde, but if it was disgust or something else, he didn't know.

"What happened?" Draco asked the distraught Gryffindor. He waited while he gathered himself, taking in a shaky breath.

"It was so scary," Harry repeated, tears still spilling down his cheeks. He then told Draco everything he could remember from his series of nightmares. The blonde thought some of these sounded familiar, like the slaying of the basilisk and the saving of the Philosopher's Stone, having heard about these through Dumbledore or through rumors.

After Harry finished, he broke into a new wave of tears, clinging to the blonde for comfort and protection. Draco leaned down and rested his cheek on top of the Gryffindor's head, rubbing his back and trying to soothe him.

"Come on," Draco said after a few moments and Harry's crying withered away to sniffling. The blonde stood up with the Gryffindor in his arms. He walked into the hallway and down the stairs into the living room. Dim sunlight coming from the high window cast an eerie glow around the room. It looked to be about six o' clock, so practically everyone would be at dinner.

As he looked around the room, Draco spotted the tray of food on the table. He set Harry down, but instead of hurrying toward the food like usual, the small Gryffindor scurried off and curled up in a ball in a dark corner of the room. This worried the blonde somewhat, as the boy had to be hungry.

"Harry, don't you want to eat?"

His question was ignored.

- - -

"Come _on_, Ron! You _know _we have to go down there anyway!" Hermione said as she tried to free the table from the redhead's death grip.

"Who said we had to?" Ron countered, now attempting to wrap his legs around a leg of the table.

"_I_ did!" the frustrated brunette shouted as she wrapped her arms around Ron's torso and attempted to pull him off that way. "Anyway, you're the one responsible for bringing Malfoy his homework."

"Oh, yeah," the redhead replied, releasing his death grip on the table just as Hermione gave one, last, hearty tug. They both fell to the floor in a heap.

"Ronald Weasley, I _swear_ you act like a three-year-old sometimes," Hermione huffed as she stood up and brushed herself off. She stalked away toward the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Hermione, wait!" Ron called after her. He stood up, grabbed a pile of books off of the table, and followed her out of the common room.

"Look, Hermione, you know we're only going to see Harry! I know you don't care about Malfoy getting his homework." He had to practically run to keep up with the brunette's brisk pace. When he was right behind her, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. She whirled around to face him. The redhead was slightly taken aback by the look on her face. He then pulled her against him in a quick hug. "I'm sorry," he said. "I won't do it again. I promise." She looked up at him and smiled.

"It's okay, Ron, I forgive you," she replied, reaching up and running her hand over the top of his head. She laughed when she noticed that some of his hair stood up on end. She began walking once more, leaving a confused Ron behind her.

"..._What!_"

- - -

Draco looked up from his position on the floor when he heard a knock on the portrait. He then looked back down at Harry, who he had cradled in his arms. The small Gryffindor hadn't uttered a word since he told Draco what he had seen in his nightmares. He just laid limp in the blonde's arms, his once bright eyes now dull and lifeless.

After Draco set Harry down on the floor, he walked over to the portrait and opened it. The sight beyond the threshold made his stomach churn. Despite what he would have liked to do, such as slamming the portrait in their faces, he let the two Gryffindors in. Ron looked rather sick at the thought of being here.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked instantly, looking around the room. Draco looked toward the corner where Harry was curled up in a ball. The brunette let out a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, her eyes growing wide. "What did you _do_ to him?" She was now growing quite hysterical.

"Look," Draco began, his patience already wearing thin. "I didn't _do_ anything!" Sighing deeply, trying to calm himself down, Draco looked in Harry's direction. Ron was kneeling next to him, attempting to get the small Gryffindor to talk. The blonde then looked back at Hermione, who had her arms folded across her chest and a frustrated look on her face. Mentally kicking himself, Draco told her about the series of nightmares Harry had.

"But...he isn't supposed to remember any of this," she said, looking fearfully in Harry's direction. "You have to write to Dumbledore about this!"

"Already did that," he said, holding up a piece of parchment. She instantly snatched it out of his and began reading it out loud.

'_Mr. Malfoy,_

_Thank you for writing to report this major problem. It is just as I had feared; Harry is able to remember things of his past, but only through nightmares. There may be a large consequence because of this. When Harry is returned to normal, he may be able to remember these things even more clearly than before, like they had just happened, and this could cause depression or dark thoughts. It would be greatly appreciated if you could keep a closer eye on him and try to keep his spirits up. This is a very serious situation, and needs to be monitored very carefully. Make sure to report any other abnormalities if needed. And remember...be very careful._'

"Harry..." Hermione's voice came out in a shaky whisper as she looked at the small Gryffindor, tears coursing down her cheeks. She dropped the piece of parchment and hurried over to him. The brunette fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Harry, who didn't even acknowledge her presence. Now she really did know something was wrong, as he was always cheerful when he saw her coming. This pained her even more, especially after knowing all of the things he has been through; having to relive them would be torture. This just wasn't right.

The sound of Ron's angry voice brought Hermione back from her troubled thoughts.

"This is all _your_ fault, you know," Ron was saying. "If you hadn't been so clumsy, none of this would have ever happened!"

"It's pretty difficult to stop a spell that's been cast off target," Draco retorted, his slender hands balling up into tight fists. "I'd like to see _you_ try it!"

Hermione asserted herself between the two; as much as she would like to have seen Draco being beatten to a pulp, she didn't want Ron or herself getting into trouble for fighting with him. "Can't you two ever stop going at each other's throats?" she questioned, glaring at the two of them.

"_NO!_"

"Well!" the brunette huffed, grabbing Ron by the arm. She began hauling him toward the portrait. "Seeing as we can't be here without causing the third World War, we'll be going." She opened the portrait and began walking out, but quickly turned and cast a worried glance in Harry's direction. Her eyes had a glazed look to them, but when they settled on the blonde, her face steeled over. "If I find out that you do something to make him even more upset, you're dead." She began closing the portrait, but a foot stopped her.

"Oh, I forgot something," Ron said. "Here's your bloody homework." Draco had to step aside as several books flew into the room and landed with a resounding _thud _on the carpet. He then cringed as the sound of the portrait being slammed shut rang through his mind.

Trying to ease his throbbing head, the blonde walked over to Harry, who hadn't moved from where Hermione had left him. Draco kneeled down and lifted the limp Gryffindor into his arms. Those once emerald eyes now had a dull look to them, making them look like a murky green. Draco ran his fingers down the side of Harry's cheek. That was when he noticed it; whenever he touched Harry the way he just did, there was an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach, yet he couldn't place exactly what it was. All he knew was that it wasn't a bad feeling, and that irked him.

Brushing some dark strands off of his forehead, Draco gently touched the small Gryffindor's warm cheek.

"Don't be scared, Harry. I'm here."

- - -

"Ron," Hermione began, her breath coming out in short angry gasps, "Why is it that you _always _have to start something with Malfoy? It's like you _always _have to start something with him the moment you set eyes on the git!"

"That's exactly why I do it, Hermione!" Ron shouted as he hurried to catch up with her. "He's been an absolute git to us ever since day one! I can't help but go at his throat. It's instinct!"

"You could have at least waited until we are about to leave so we could have gotten something out of Harry. We need to help him get through this, unless you'd like him to be depressed when we have our original Harry back! _Oof!_" She had spun around to send a glare in the redhead's direction, but her complete disregard as to where she was going resulted in her crashing into something solid. Hermione gasped when she met the narrowed black eyes of her Potions professor.

"Pro--Professor..." she began, but was instantly cut off.

"Granger, there's no need for your useless incoherence," Professor Snape snapped. "Now get up off of the floor, you silly girl." She turned a bright shade of red and stood up, brushing off her robes. "Come with me. Not you, Weasley," he added as the redhead made to follow. Hermione's face fell as she began to follow the professor, leaving a spluttering Ron behind her.

When they arrived at the Potions classroom a few moments later, Hermione glanced at the professor in confusion. "But why --" She was cut off as he opened the door with such force it hit the stone wall with an echoing _bang_.

"In," he commanded, pointing inside and ignoring her completely. The brunette cast a curious glance at the large cauldron set up by the professor's desk and the assortment of ingredients in various vials.

"What's this all about?" She couldn't stop herself from voicing the question. Her hand then suddenly flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Did I fail the last potion we went over in class? Do I have to do it all over again?" Her voice was becoming high-pitched and hysterical. "Am I --"

"Stop!" Professor Snape's usually pale face had taken on a reddish tint, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Yes, we are here to brew a potion, but that is not why, you inferior child." Hermione relaxed, but sent a glare in the man's direction as soon as he turned around. He picked up a book from his cluttered desk, placed it on a table closest to the cauldron, and opened to a marked page. Looking at the page, Hermione's heart skipped a beat; the title read _Advanced Aging Potions_.

"Now you know why we are here," he said after noticing the brunette glancing at the book.

"Yes, but there's something I don't understand," Hermione replied. "If you are the Potions professor, why can't you do it? Why do you want me to help?"

"Look here," he said, pointing to a section of the page. "Read what it says." Hermione leaned over and quickly scanned the page; what she read caused her jaw to drop.

"Stir in both directions, _one hundred _times each at a slow pace?" she asked, looking horror-struck. "And you have to simmer some ingredients together in separate cauldrons? How long does this potion take to make?"

"A few weeks, if it's done correctly," the professor replied curtly. "So it would be a little easier to have someone with at least some brains and can follow directions properly to assist me." The brunette nodded slowly, really dreading what could happen during the next few weeks.

- - -

"Ron, she'll be _fine_!" Ginny sat next to her brother in the Gryffindor common room, attempting to comfort him. Dinner had just ended and Hermione still wasn't back yet. "I don't think she's in trouble. Has she ever said anything about having to see Snape?"

"No! Why do you think I'm acting like this?" The younger Weasley raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"Well, I think you're acting childish," she retorted, crossing her arms aver her chest and giving Ron a pointed look. "She'll probably be back soon enough."

"At least we can hope that she will be. Who knows what that man's capable of? He was a Death Eater for crying out loud! He keeps to himself most of the --"

"Ron, _shut up_!" Ginny shouted, causing the few students that were left in the common room to look curiously in their direction. "If you're so worried about her, just go down there, barge into the room, and demand to know what's going on! Honestly! You act like you're _dying _when you're not with her!" As she said the last statement, a knowing look then crossed over the youngest Weasley's face. She gave her brother an innocent grin.

"Ahhh...I see. You like Hermione!"

Ron's face turned a bright shade of red.

"Ah ha! That's why you're so worried, isn't it?"

"No! That's not it! I don't like her like that!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Ron's face darkened even more.

"Yes you do! You like Hermione! Oh, I can see it now." Ginny broke out into a huge grin, her blue eyes glazing over. "You two will be living in the country in a nice white house with three little kids running around in the front yard. Oooh, you two would be so _cute _together!"

"Ginny, drop it!" Ron's voice became muffled as he buried his face in a pillow. "This day is not going well."

"You're finally right about something, Ron. "

The voice made Ron jump; he looked up quickly and his gaze met an extremely tired-looking Hermione. Her brown hair stuck to certain areas of her sweaty face and her arms hung limp at her sides.

"Hermione! What happened?" Ron sat up and took in her appearance. "What have you been doing?"

"It's okay, Ron," Hermione said, sitting down next to him. "I was down in the dungeons assisting Snape with a potion."

"Then why do you look like that?" Ginny couldn't help but voice the question out loud. _If that's what you were doing, then why would you look so tired and sweaty? It couldn't be that hard to begin a potion, could it?_

"Why don't you try stirring something one hundred times in a row? It's not exactly easy to do."

"He made you stir one hundred times?" Ron asked, looking disbelieving.

"Why didn't you take turns doing twenty-five or something like that? It would have been so much easier?" Hermione only shrugged in response as she laid her head back and closed her eyes. In only a couple moments, her breathing evened out, a sure sign that she had fallen asleep.

"Come on," Ginny said quietly, motioning for Ron to follow her. He stood up and began following her toward the dormitories. As Ginny began making her way up the stairs to her own dormitory, Ron doubled back. Leaning down, me placed a small kiss on Hermione's warm forehead.

"Good night, 'Mione."

- - -

"Draco, why is this happening to me?"

The small Gryffindor looked up at the blonde, fresh tears coursing down his cheeks. The blonde had finally gotten Harry to respond to him, but it wasn't exactly easy.

"I don't know, Harry," Draco replied quietly, running his hands through Harry's jet-black hair. "Let's just hope it doesn't happen again." In response, Harry buried himself deeper in Draco's arms. Just then, a silver tray materialized in front of where they were sitting on the couch. Draco looked down at Harry, whose gaze was set on the food on the tray. The blonde then leaned forward and grabbed a plate of chicken. Harry watched every movement the blonde made as he cut it into small pieces.

"I know you may not want to, but you have to eat something," Draco said. He helped Harry sit up and held out a small piece of chicken to him. He expected the Gryffindor to take it, but instead, he merely opened his mouth. The blonde raised an eyebrow, but fed it to him anyway. He watched as Harry chewed it slowly and licked his lips. The mere sight of him doing so caused something inside him to stir. Willing the feeling to go away, the blonde picked up another piece.

This went on for a few moments until Harry shook his head as Draco picked up one of the last pieces. The small Gryffindor curled up in Draco's arms once more, his face pressed against the blonde's chest. His emerald eyes glazed over, and the blonde could tell he was thinking. In a way, it pained him to see such a young child acting like this; no one at that age should have to suffer, no matter who they are. Harry has been through so much more than anyone could keep track of, a lot more than a person should have witnessed through only a few years.

The sound of Harry's voice brought Draco back from his thoughts. "Will I always be able to stay here with you?" he asked, his voice quiet yet slightly muffled. The question surprised the blonde, but he answered anyway.

"I don't see why you wouldn't," he replied. Despite all of the things Harry has been through that day, a small smile played on his lips.

"I hope I can," he said quietly, closing his eyes.

_Maybe you do, too_, a voice said in the back of his mind.

"Shut up," the blonde whispered as he curled up on the couch with Harry and extinguished the lights.

- - -

Well, there you have it. Chapter nine. Hope it was long enough. I think I did a little more than I usually do, which is a good thing. Suggestions are still welcome, especially for when I should have Harry back to normal. I already have that chapter planned out, but I just need to have a space in the story to put it.

Please review!

...TBC...


	10. Pain

I'm soooooo sorry it took this long to update. Don't kill me...-hides- School has been murder. I never realised that it was almost two months since chapter 9 was put up. It doesn't seem it had been that long at all.

I would _really_ like to thank all who had reviewed. I _never _expected to break 100, but thanks to all of you, it happened! If I even tried to personally thank all of you, it would take a long time. The reviews had been great, though, and have kept me going. All of the 'cutes' were gladly appreciated.

I'd also like to thank my beta, Izzy, for helping with the chapter and making it sound a lot better than it would have. Rock on, girl! XD

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

Maybe you do, too, _a voice said in the back of his mind._

"_Shut up," the blonde whispered as he curled up on the couch with Harry and extinguished the lights._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 10:** Pain

_One week later_

The portrait entrance of the Gryffindor common room banged open as Ginny rushed inside. She instantly made her way over to Ron and Hermione, who were seated at a table by the fireplace, talking quietly. They both looked up as the younger redhead stopped next to their table.

"You will _not _believe what I just heard," Ginny said quietly as she pulled up an extra chair and sat down. Hermione raised an eyebrow, silently indicating for her to go on. "Well, my friends and I were walking out of the Potions when we passed a small group of Slytherins," she began. "As we were walking by, we overheard one of them say something about a seventh year named Pansy Parkinson. Do you know her?"

"Yes," Hermione said, disdain clearly heard in her voice. "She's the pug-faced Slytherin who can never keep her mouth shut and that no one can stand."

Ginny looked at her in shock, having never really heard her put anyone down, before continuing. "It was something about her going to Malfoy's dormitory a while back. Apparently he flipped out at her and struck her across the face. But that's not what this is about," Ginny added quickly when she noticed their faces. "They said that Parkinson told them that Harry and Malfoy aren't really sick at all, but they're both staying in Malfoy's dormitory. How crazy is that?"

She stopped to take a breath, looking between the two older Gryffindors. Their frightened expressions caused her smile to melt away.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny then noticed the look that the two shared.

"What's going on?" she asked. Her eyes then widened, a hand flying to her mouth before she squealed, "He's not gay, is he?"

Ron, caught by surprise, lost his balance, causing the chair and himself to fall backwards. His face turned a bright shade of red with embarrassment as many students looked curiously in their direction. He righted his chair and sat down quickly before turning to glare at Ginny.

Trying to hide a smile, Hermione quickly glanced at Ron before her gaze settled on Ginny.

"No, he isn't," she replied quietly. "He probably would have said something, or we could have noticed." She then paused, her expression suddenly growing serious. "But there _is_ something that we should probably tell you."

- - -

Draco was just finishing his Potions assignments when his eagle owl landed on his desk, scattering a few pieces of parchment. The blonde untied the scroll from its leg and unrolled it. He skimmed the first few lines of the letter, and then almost dropped it in shock. His hands began to shake as he started from the beginning, making sure he hadn't misread.

_Dear Draco,_

_I regret to inform you that your mother passed away earlier this morning. Throughout the previous weeks, others have noticed her health deteriorating. The mediwitches at Saint Mungo's failed to identify the illness in time and were unable to treat it. She was a great asset to the Malfoy name. She would want you to be strong. Please take care, Draco._

_Sincerely,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Draco dropped his father's letter and slowly put his face in his shaking hands. He had always been pretty close to his mother, even closer than he had been to his father. He couldn't believe this was happening; he would just wake up and find out that this was just some horrible nightmare. But he knew it was no nightmare. His father would not have gone through so much trouble to send him a letter from Azkaban if it hadn't been important.

"Draco?"

The quiet voice caused him to jump; he had neither seen nor heard Harry coming over to him. The small Gryffindor was attempting to peel Draco's hands away from his face.

"What's wrong?"

The blonde's hands fell to his lap and he leaned back in his chair. Draco closed his eyes, willing himself to disappear so he could escape from this madness. This could not be happening to him; he was growing attached to his temporarily five-year-old enemy and now his mother has just passed away. What next? Was the world as they knew it going to be taken over by mountain trolls? Draco almost fell backwards when he felt two small hands on either side of his face. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was a pair of emerald green eyes peering intently into his sharp grey ones.

"Nothing," Draco finally replied, righting his chair. The sudden movement and lack of support almost caused Harry to fall forward.

"You're lying," the Gryffindor said quietly, coming around to face Draco.

The blonde was slightly taken aback; he was surprised by how well Harry could read him. Draco stood up and went to lie down on the couch, placing an arm over his eyes. He tensed when Harry climbed on top of him and curled up.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked once more.

Draco heaved a shaky sigh. He couldn't bring himself to say it; he knew that if he did, that would make it true. He would just have to pay the price, then.

"My..." Draco stopped himself, having suddenly lost his ability to speak. His throat felt constricted, not letting him finish the sentence. Doing his best to fight the emotions boiling inside of him, Draco choked out, "My -- my mother died." He felt Harry tense for a brief moment before a small pair of arms encircled his waist.

"My mum died, too," Harry said quietly, "I don't know how. In the dream, there was a lot of green light and -- and --" The small Gryffindor suddenly grew silent, but Draco could feel him shaking slightly.

"It's okay," the blonde said, even though he knew it wasn't; inside, he was screaming. Disturbing, random thoughts began drifting through his mind, slowly transforming into fitful dreams. His breathing evened out and his was asleep within moments. Harry moved up and rested his head underneath Draco's chin.

"I love you, Draco."

- - -

"So -- so Harry _is_ staying with Malfoy?" Ginny asked, her eyes growing wide. Her only response was a nod from Hermione, who had a tight grip on her wrist. "Okay, but what does that have to do with dragging me to the dungeons?"

"You'll see," Ron replied, a dark look crossing over his features. They turned down a corridor and stopped at a portrait of a silver dragon.

"Okay," Hermione said, turning to face the confused redhead. "What you will see will most likely surprise you. Be prepared for the worst," she added as she turned to knock on the portrait.

- - -

A knock on the portrait entrance caused Draco to jerk out of his light sleep. He fell to the floor in surprise, though he landed harder than he should have, seeing as how Harry had been lying on top of him. After untangling himself with the startled Gryffindor, he stood up and went to open the portrait. He inwardly groaned as Ron and Hermione stepped over the threshold.

"Wait!" Draco exclaimed as Ginny hurried in after them. "What is _she_ doing here?" The two older Gryffindors ignored the blonde as they walked over to where Harry was sitting on the floor. An audible gasp was heard from Ginny when she saw him.

"Is -- is that _Harry_?" she asked, kneeling down next to him.

"Yes, it is," Hermione replied. "But you have to listen to me. You cannot tell anyone about this. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, but _how_?" the redhead pressed on.

"An accident in Charms," the brunette replied, giving Draco a pointed look.

"What? Oh..." Ginny looked between the two before her gaze settled on the blonde. "Was Malfoy the one that -- ?"

Draco watched the scene unravel before him. He just couldn't take anymore of it. "That's it! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed. "You can't just bring someone here and have them look at Harry like he's some caged animal. You heard Dumbledore. No one is supposed to know!"

The three Gryffindors looked at the blonde incredulously, their jaws hanging open.

"Did you just call him -- ?" Ron began, but was cut off by Hermione, who was heading towards the piece of parchment lying on the floor.

"Is this another letter from Dumbledore?" she asked as she bent down to pick it up.

"No! Don't!" Draco gasped, trying to stop her before she read the letter, but it was too late. Hermione's hand flew up to her mouth as she dropped the parchment to the floor.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have --"

"You're damn right you shouldn't have!" Draco shouted, snatching the letter off of the floor. "You don't just go around reading other people's letters!" Draco's hands began shaking out of anger and his normally pale face took on a reddish tint.

"Look, she said she was sorry!" Ron exclaimed, standing up to defend Hermione. The tips of his ears were turning red; always a dangerous sign.

"You're one to talk!" the blonde challenged. "You can't help but to stick your abnormally large nose in other people's business!"

Ron instantly put a hand to his nose, his eyes wide. "Is my nose really that --" He caught himself and glared at Draco. "You're such an insufferable prat!"

"Aww. Is that all you could think of?" Draco taunted, crossing his arms over his chest, his ever-familiar smirk plastered on his face. Harry was looking between Ron and Draco from his position on the floor, a frightened expression on his face.

"No, that's not _all_ I can think of," Ron hissed under his breath as he began making his way over toward the arrogant blonde. A look of pure and utter loathing was plastered on his freckled face.

"Ron!" Hermione hurried and quickly asserted herself between the two males, a pleading look in her eyes. "You can't do this. You know you can get yourself into big trouble!"

"Hermione," Ron said, a threatening tone in his voice, "if you don't move now, you'll end up getting hurt. You know I don't want that to happen."

"But Ron --"

"No 'buts,' Hermione," Ron snapped. "I've had more than I can take of him, and I can't stand it anymore." He moved her to the side as gently as he could and proceeded toward Draco.

As the redhead pulled back his fist, ready to plant it in the centre of Draco's face, something held him back. Turning around, he saw Hermione, who had her hands wrapped around his wrist.

"Ron, listen to me," she said quietly, "you can't do this. As much as I would love to see you pound him into the floor, we would all end up getting into a lot of trouble. Ginny especially, since she isn't even supposed to be here, let alone know about Harry. If anyone found out she knew, we'd all be dead within seconds." Ron couldn't help but to lower his arm; the look of pure desperation on her face softened him a bit.

"Fine," he growled, turning to send a death glare at Draco. "But one day soon, I'll find a way to get back at him." Oh, if looks could kill.

"Wait," Ginny said hurriedly, "can't we stay a little longer?" she cast a quick glance at Harry, who had his gaze set on the arrogant blonde.

"No, you can't," Draco snapped, cutting in before either of the older Gryffindors could say anything in return, "I've had enough of this."

"Don't talk to my sister like that," Ron hissed through clenched teeth, his hands balled at his sides. Hermione took hold of his arm before he could shatter Draco's face, though she would have enjoyed watching it happen.

"Let's go," she said quietly, loosening her grip on his arm and turning to leave.

"Can't we just take him with us for a little while?" Ginny pressed on, trying to coax Harry into coming to sit with her.

"Sorry, Ginny," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "It would cause a whole mess of --"

"Trouble, yes," Draco finished, his face taking on a light reddish tinge. "We all know that. Now just -- get -- _out_." He began shaking in anger, his grey eyes glowing with suppressed hatred. Those Gryffindors were just so _thick_. Ginny, who was closest to him, stood up quickly and hurried toward the portrait.

"'Bye, Harry!" she called before it closed behind her. Hermione shared a look with Ron before walking over to Harry and giving him a hug.

"We'll see you later, Harry."

"'Bye, mate," Ron said. Before following Hermione, he stepped over toward Draco. "This isn't over." He gave the blonde a look of clear disdain before walking out of the room.

Letting out a frustrated yell, Draco picked up a shoe and hurled it at the closed portrait. The resounding noise echoed repeatedly through his already aching head. Then, as if his knees had given out, he fell to the floor; he was shaking once more.

"Draco?" The quiet voice startled him somewhat; he had momentarily forgotten that Harry was there. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the blonde snapped before turning away from the young Gryffindor.

"It's okay," Harry said, coming around to face Draco. "I miss my mum, too." He sat down in front of the Slytherin, a look of sadness making its way onto his face. Draco could have sworn that whenever Harry was emotional, his original, older self shone through, making him seem wise beyond his years.

"Sometimes I still feel like she's still here, like she's watching me," the small boy continued, his quiet voice cracking slightly. He looked down at his hands, a helpless look in his emerald eyes. "It's the same with my dad, too." The small Gryffindor's eyes then filled with tears.

Upon seeing this, Draco's barrier that separated him from the outside world crumbled. He moved closer and pulled the smaller boy closer to him.

"It's alright," Draco muttered quietly, his voice shaking slightly. "Maybe she _is_ watching you."

He rubbed Harry's lower back, his slender hands tracing small circles as he tried to quiet the younger boy's constant sniffling. Inside of him, a pit was forming, only to be filled with a deep sadness. The same thought went through his mind repeatedly.

_She's gone. She's never coming back. _A lump then began forming in his throat.

_No! _he thought furiously_. I am _not _going to show any type of emotion... _

Draco began shaking, trying to keep his suppressed emotions at bay. Harry, sensing this, turned around to face the blonde, his emerald eyes still slightly glazed over. His voice was so quiet, Draco barely heard him.

"It's okay to cry, Draco."

- - -

"Ron, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, but I have to go!" Hermione shouted as she began walking out of the common room. Ron followed her, attempting to talk her out of it.

"You went only a couple days ago!" he countered. "Why do you need to go again? So soon, for that matter."

"Ron, are you that _daft_?" the brunette hissed, lowering her voice so that only Ron could hear her. "I am only doing this for Harry. Don't you want him back?"

"Of course I do!" the redhead exclaimed, his eyes widening. His outburst caused several pairs of curious eyes to look in their direction. "I just thought -- never mind." He heaved a resigned sigh, having failed his attempt to say whatever was on his mind.

"Good," Hermione replied, smiling sweetly at him. "Now, I have to go, unless you want to try to prevent me from going again, causing us to lose about one hundred house points." After the last statement, her brown eyes narrowed, daring Ron to try and stop her.

"No, just go," Ron muttered, heaving another sigh. He followed her for a short distance, stopping to stand just inside the portrait hole. "Like he won't try to take some, anyway!" he called after her retreating back.

Hermione chuckled quietly to herself as she turned down an adjacent corridor, shaking her head. Ron was just so..._Ron_. He never thought anything through properly. _That would be why he's always diving headfirst into things and getting himself into trouble_, she thought to herself. _He just has that nasty temper of his_...

Her deep thinking continued as she entered the entrance hall and made her way toward the dungeons. She was standing in front of the Potion's classroom door before she even realized it.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione placed her hand on the knob and pushed the door open. The sight of several cauldrons and a livid Potions master met her eyes.

"You're late," he hissed before she could even get a word out. "Twenty points from Gryffindor." He turned around quickly and headed toward his desk.

_At least it wasn't a hundred_, Hermione thought miserably. She then jumped when a loud _thud_ was heard after Snape dropped the potions book onto a nearby desk. He placed a finger at a certain area of the page. Hermione leaned forward, looking down at the paragraph he was indicating.

"As you can see, these two solutions have to be mixed together," he muttered, indicating two of the several cauldrons, one containing a pale blue substance, the other a vivid red. "Certain amounts have to be put in at a time, so it has to be done very carefully. If done correctly, it should come turn out as a metallic purple." Hermione nodded her understanding, but Snape didn't appear to be finished.

"This is the second to last step of the process. Once this is done, everything will be mixed together. The potion may be completed within the next couple of hours."

"_What?_" Hermione gasped, looking at him in utter shock. "So soon? I thought it was going to take a lot longer to make!"

"Things have gone better than planned," Snape replied, looking down at her with a look of disgust on his pale face. "For it to take effect takes a while longer, perhaps a few days or so."

Hermione nodded and looked down at the book. "Now that you understand, you can get to work. I'll be over here checking these cauldrons, making sure everything is correct."

"Yes, sir."

- - -

Hermione arrived back at Gryffindor Tower a few hours later, feeling rather tired. Her task for that day seemed easy enough, but the concentration required for measuring the exact amounts and placing them in the cauldron at certain time intervals spent most of her brain power.

"Hermione?"

The brunette looked up to see Ron sitting on the couch with Ginny, both with open textbooks placed on their laps. She walked over and sat down heavily, upsetting some of their papers.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired," she replied, giving him a small smile.

"Why does he make _you _do all of the work?" the older redhead questioned, narrowing his eyes at her. "It's because you're a Gryffindor, isn't it? Or does he not want to get his lazy --"

"He _doesn't _make me do all of the work," Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. "In fact, he did most of it. He added most of the ingredients while I stirred them in and added different solutions together. Yes, I know it _sounds _easy," she added, noticing he was about to open his mouth to speak, "but it takes a lot more concentration than you think."

"Oh." Ron mumbled. "Well, hopefully it gets easier as you get farther into the process of making it."

"It certainly _will _get easier," Hermione replied with a smile. "It's done."

"Really? That's great!" Ron exclaimed, sitting up and turning to face her properly. Ginny nodded her agreement, smiling brightly. "We'll get to have Harry back sooner than we thought!"

"No, Ron, that's not how it is," Hermione muttered, shaking her head. Ron merely raised an eyebrow in question, silently indicating for her to continue. "The potion is done, but it will take a while before it takes effect."

"How long?"

"A few days, possibly more," Hermione replied, slowly moving away from the older redhead.

"..._Damn it!_"

- - -

Draco stalked over to the entrance to his dormitory as the rather persistent knocking continued. Expecting it to be the Gryffindors, he threw it open rather violently.

"What the hell do you --" The blonde quickly quieted when he realized that it was Professor Snape standing there, rather than Granger and Weasel.

"Sorry, Professor. I thought you were someone else," Draco mumbled as he stepped aside to let the Potions Master through.

"Clearly," Snape replied coolly. "I have something for Potter."

At the sound of his surname, Harry's head snapped up. He was seated on the couch, leafing through one of Draco's textbooks before Snape arrived. When he spotted the surly man, he jumped, letting out a small yelp. Losing his balance, Harry fell to the floor, along with the book. When he was able to sit up, he placed both of his hands on the side of the table, looking over the edge at them with a sheepish expression on his face. Snape just cleared his throat, drawing his attention from the embarrassed Gryffindor.

"As I was saying, I have something." He reached for one of the pockets on the inside of his robes and pulled out a small vial of metallic purple liquid.

"Is that --"

"The aging potion, yes," Snape interjected. "This is only the first dose. There is a total of eight and they are to be taken in twelve hour intervals; I shall be back with the next one at approximately nine o' clock tomorrow morning." Draco nodded his understanding as the professor uncorked the vial. He and Draco then walked over to Harry, who was still a little red in the face and watching Snape with a sceptical expression. Draco kneeled down in front of him, the vial of potion at hand.

"Drink this, Harry," he said, pushing it into the boy's small hands.

Harry looked at it for a moment, as if deciding whether it was safe to accept or not. The blonde was immediately reminded of the war when he gave Harry a potion, and he had hesitated, not knowing whether it was poison or not. No matter what he did, Draco could not forget about the terrible things he had seen during the war. All of the pain, destruction, and worst of all, death.

_Death_. The mere word wrenched at Draco's heart, filling his chest with dread. His mother was gone, the very person he had been closest to and understood him the most. Now she was gone, lost forever in oblivion...

"Draco!"

The professor's sharp voice brought his back to reality rather harshly. "You looked like you had been hit with the Imperius Curse," he snapped.

"Sorry," Draco mumbled, averting his attention back to Harry. The small boy hesitantly placed the vial to his lips and drained the liquid. A look of utter disgust immediately made it's way onto his face.

"Now, it will take approximately a few days to take effect, as I've said, so he may be back to normal --" The professor immediately stopped in mid-sentence, his dark gaze stuck on Harry. The young Gryffindor's expression of disgust was now replaced with one of pain, and he was lying rigidly on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, making to move the boy closer. Harry cried out in pain at the slightest touch, tears streaming down his face. The blonde looked up at the professor, the question clearly written on his face.

"It is most likely some sort of side effect," Snape said, though he didn't seem so sure of himself. "I will consult the book to find out exactly. It would be best to take him to bed and let him sleep it off."

The professor then turned to leave, but stopped in mid-step. He had his back turned to Draco, so it was hard to make out the words, though the blonde could tell he was deadly serious. "Keep an extremely close eye on him, and report to me if anything else happens. If something goes wrong, we'll _both _be hexed into oblivion." The man then turned to look over his shoulder, nodding respectively.

"Good night, Mr. Malfoy," the Potions Master said before walking out of the room.

As soon as Professor Snape walked out of the dormitory, Draco leaned down to pick up Harry to carry him upstairs. The boy cried out even louder, his face contorted in pain. His skin was pale and warm to the touch. A fine sheen of perspiration shone on his forehead.

When Draco entered his bedroom, he just placed Harry in bed and, slowly but carefully, removed his shirt and trousers; if he even attempted to change him into pyjamas, he would only cause him more pain. The blonde then crawled under the sheets; he wasn't that tired, but he thought he should stay there in case Harry needed him.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Draco turned and looked down at Harry. He ran a slender hand through the midnight locks, brushing them off of his warm forehead. The boy appeared less tense, but his eyes were still closed and his breathing was a lot more rapid than it should have been.

After extinguishing the lights, Draco laid back, pulling the sheets up over Harry.

"Don't be scared," he said quietly, closing his eyes and getting himself comfortable. "It will all be over tomorrow morning."

Little did Draco know how true his statement was.

- - -

I think that was the longest chapter yet. Now that it's done, please leave a review!

...TBC...


	11. What's Wrong with Me?

Hello, everyone. Yes, it has been a while since this fic was updated. There were several reasons for that, the main one being school. Enough said.

Okay, enough babbling. I'd like to thank all you reviewers out there. This fic has now reached 145 reviews, and they can keep a girl going. Much appreciated.

I'd also like to thank my beta, Izzy. Without her, this fic would be unfit to be read.

As for this chapter, sorry if this isn't what you guys wanted. This thing has been waiting since the beginning to be typed up, so here it is. Sorry if it also seems unlikely or a little OOC. It was done on purpose.

Anyway, here ya go. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_After extinguishing the lights, Draco laid back, pulling the sheets up over Harry._

"_Don't be scared," he said quietly, closing his eyes and getting himself comfortable. "It will all be over tomorrow morning."_

_Little did Draco know how true his statement was._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 11:** What's Wrong with Me?

The next morning, a seventeen-year-old Harry Potter awoke, his entire body throbbing painfully. "Ugh," he moaned quietly, his eyes still closed as he reached up to rub his head, "why do I feel like I've been hit by a --"

He suddenly cut himself off, just having realized that something wasn't quite right; he had just propped himself up on his elbows, and what he appeared to be lying on didn't seem to be his usual soft, springy bed, but instead a rather hard, smooth surface...and his ankles were entwined with someone else's.

Harry opened his eyes slowly, fearing what sight would meet him, and looked down; what he saw was the _last _thing he would have expected.

Harry's frightened emerald gaze settled on a pale, pointed face surrounded by platinum blonde hair; the unmistakable face of Draco Malfoy.

Letting out a yell, the Gryffindor shoved himself off of the Slytherin and fell to the floor, the resounding noise causing the blonde to wake up. He sat up abruptly, looking around for the source of the noise.

"Oh my God!" he shouted when his eyes fell on Harry, who had pressed himself up against the wall. Draco flung himself off of the bed and fell to the floor, just as the Gryffindor had done. The blonde then backed up against the opposite wall, a somewhat surprised, yet frightened, expression on his face.

"How--how did you --"

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Harry shouted, cutting Draco off. "What's happening? Where am I?" His emerald eyes went unfocused as he shrunk back against the wall on his side of the room, looking as though he was on the brink of having a panic attack.

"Will you just shut up for a second?" Draco snapped, trying to appear calm but having extreme difficulty. What _was _going on?

"No!" Harry shouted, his voice reverberating against the stone walls. "I have every right to ask questions. I just woke up on top of _you_, of all people! Now, _what the hell is going on_?" His voice rose with each word, causing himself to wince when it echoed back to him.

"I'm not the one that --" Draco began, but was cut off once again by the hysterical Gryffindor.

"I demand to see the Headmaster," he said forcefully. "Where am I? How do I get to him?"

"You're in the school, but --" Draco stopped in mid-sentence, as Harry had just run out of the room at full tilt.

_This isn't going to end well, in more ways than one_, the blonde thought.

Harry was about to run into a mass of students who believed him to be ill, or he was going to run straight through the wave of rumours that have been milling around lately. And worst of all, he was clad in only a pair of boxers.

- - -

In a matter of minutes, Harry reached the stone gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office, both his heart and his mind racing. He passed several students on the way, all whom had given him the _strangest _looks. It could have been the fact that he was dressed in only a pair of boxers, which he didn't realize until a little later, but the looks read much, _much _deeper than that.

Just as Harry began thinking these things over, the sound of footsteps could be heard, coming from the adjacent hallway. He hurriedly attempted to hide his half-naked self next to the gargoyle, but it was too late; the sudden halt of the footsteps and the smashing of glass that immediately followed signalled that he had been sighted.

Being the extremely curious person he was, Harry peered around the gargoyle to look down the corridor. His gaze settled on Professor Snape, who was peering down at the floor where pieces of broken glass laid amidst a metallic purple liquid. The man's wide-eyed gaze then settled on the startled Gryffindor. Then, as if he was trying to hide his surprise, he narrowed his eyes and stalked toward Harry. Grabbing him by his upper arm, Snape turned to face the gargoyle.

"_Ice Mice_," he hissed at it. Immediately, the stone figure moved to the side, revealing the spiralling staircase that Harry had ascended countless times.

Dragging Harry along with him, Snape swept through the opening and up the revolving stairs. He paused only to give a single, curt knock on the large oak door before going into the Headmaster's office.

Professor Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, poring over a long piece of parchment. "Good morning, Sever--"

The Headmaster cut himself off when he noticed Harry, who looked both angry and extremely embarrassed at the same time, attempting to cover his half-naked self.

"Good morning, Professor," Snape replied curtly, bringing Harry forward and pushing him into the chair placed in front of the desk. The Headmaster waited patiently, wondering who would be speaking first.

His thoughts were answered when Professor Snape stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I was on my way down to the dungeons with a potion," he began, pausing to give the Headmaster a knowing look, "when I discovered Potter here trying to gain entrance to your office."

"And how did you happen to come by him when everything you need is down in the dungeons?" Dumbledore questioned, a somewhat curious expression flitting across his aged features.

"I had to return something to the library," was the short reply.

"I see," the Headmaster replied, now turning his gaze to look at Harry, who was sulking in the armchair. With a snap of his fingers, the Gryffindor was clad in a set of school robes.

"Thanks, Professor," he muttered quietly, averting his gaze.

"Now, what brings you here, Harry?" the professor asked, though he had a slight idea about what the answer would be.

There was a short period of silence as Harry mulled over some things, unsure of how to put his thoughts together. When he finally did begin speaking, a red tinge had begun to appear on his cheeks.

"It's complicated, professor," Harry started, heaving a sigh. "I woke up this morning feeling like I've been trampled over by a rampaging hippogriff, and --" He paused for a moment, the red in his cheeks growing brighter. Placing his face in his hands, he continued, "and I was lying of top of -- of _Malfoy_. I have no idea what has been going on lately, but I feel as if I'm missing out on something. What has been going on that no one has bothered to tell me about?"

When Harry finished speaking, Dumbledore looked at him with concern. The distraught Gryffindor's breathing rate was increasing with each passing second, and his small frame was beginning to shake underneath the strain of suppressed emotions.

"I am terribly sorry, Harry, but I cannot explain everything at this time," the Headmaster replied, an empathetic look in his usually twinkling eyes. "Even I am unsure of all the details at the current time, but there are others you can go to for answers. It would be best to talk to Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. Maybe even Mr. Malfoy will be able to help."

After Dumbledore's last statement, Harry's eyes narrowed. "The day I willingly talk to that git will be when Crabbe and Goyle learn how to speak coherent sentences," he mumbled, receiving a glare from his Potions professor.

"You'd be surprised," the Headmaster pressed on, ignoring the last part of Harry's retort.

"I don't care," the Gryffindor snapped, his hands clenched into fists. "He has caused enough hell in our lives, and I won't let him make things worse. There hasn't been any point in time where he has helped any of us, so what makes you think he will now?"

At that moment, something on the shelf behind the desk shattered, sending small pieces of glass flying around the room. Harry's shaking had worsened, and his emerald eyes flashed with rage. As the second instrument cracked and broke apart, Professor Dumbledore stood and walked over to his cabinet of potions. He returned to his desk with a vial at hand a moment later. "Drink this, Mr. Potter," he urged, holding it out for Harry to take. "It will help you feel better."

Harry reached out for the vial, glaring at the man in front of him. He uncorked it, peering inside, before hesitantly downing the contents.

The potion took effect immediately. Harry's head lolled forward as he fought to keep his eyes open. When he spoke, his voice was sluggish and his words were a little slurred. "What--what did you g-give --?" was all he got out before he slumped forward in his seat, snoring lightly.

"Yes, what _did _you give him?" Snape questioned, looking down at the Gryffindor with a raised eyebrow.

"A calming draught, but one strong enough to put him to sleep," the Headmaster replied, looking down at the student with a sad look in his eyes. "I am surprised you did not pick up on that, Severus," he added, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, now isn't the time to be looking into calming draughts," the Potions Master hissed, "but there is a potion that I'd like to know more about." He indicated the sleeping Gryffindor as if trying to show his point. "He wasn't supposed to be back to normal for another few days. It is strange how he has only taken one dose out of eight and he has already transformed. I would attempt to look into it, but the only problem is knowing where to begin."

The Headmaster looked at the incapacitated youth, a faraway look in his eyes as he thought these things over. It did seem out of place that he would have changed so quickly when it was a longer process. It just didn't seem possible, unless...

"Severus, do you think it is possible that he had already begun to transform before the potion was given to him, and it only ended up increasing the rate of the change?" he questioned, looking at the other professor intently. Snape mulled over this statement, a look of comprehension appearing on his normally sullen face.

"That does seem possible," he replied, stroking his chin in thought. "Not even a moment after the first dose was administered to him last night, he was experiencing extreme pain throughout his body. That may have been due to the fact that his limbs could have been preparing to elongate to their normal length."

"Yes, that does seem probable," the Headmaster stated, averting his gaze to the Potions Master. "Now, since we have somewhat of an understanding about what is going on, I'd like you to take Mr. Potter here back to Gryffindor Tower. He should sleep this off."

A look of disgust immediately appeared on Snape's face after the last statement. "You mean I actually have to set foot in that tower? What do you think the Gryffindors residing there will think when they see their least favourite teacher enter their common room carrying a seemingly unconscious Harry Potter?"

Dumbledore let out a light chuckle despite himself. "I would imagine that the look on their faces would be fairly humorous. Though, now that it is almost time for classes to begin, the tower will most likely be empty. You may want to hurry so you could get down to the dungeons in time to begin your own lesson," he replied as he stood. Leaning down over the armchair in front of his desk, the Headmaster gathered Harry into his arms. Professor Snape walked over to him and held his arms out, looking extremely reluctant to do so.

As soon as Harry was in his arms, Snape gave the Headmaster a curt nod and hurriedly left the office, acting as if the longer he held Harry, the sooner his robes would burst into flames.

- - -

"Hermione? Hermione, come quick!"

It was just before dinner and the students were back in their respective common rooms. Ron ran down the stairs leading from the boys' dormitory, an excited look on his face. He made a beeline for the table where Hermione was seated, surrounded by piles of books.

"Come on, Hermione! I have to show you something!" the redhead whispered urgently, practically jumping up and down on the spot.

"What _is_ it, Ron?" the agitated brunette replied, glaring at Ron over the top of her Potions textbook. "Can't you see that I am busy?"

"Who _cares_? That essay isn't due for a few more days, anyway," Ron replied. "This is much more important than schoolwork!" He grabbed Hermione by the arm and pulled her out of her seat, the sudden movement upsetting several of the books. He then proceeded to drag her through the common room and up the stairs.

"I swear, Ron, if this is something stupid, I'll --" Hermione was cut off as Ron placed a finger to her lips and opened the door. Her mouth fell open as her gaze settled on the occupied bed Ron was pointing at, noticing the form of the person immediately.

"Harry!" she squealed, hurrying to kneel next to his bed. "But how?" A confused expression flitted over her face. "He isn't supposed to be back for a few more days."

"Who cares?" Ron asked, coming to stand next to her. A goofy grin was plastered on his face, an almost giddy emotion welling up in him at the sight of the raven-haired teen; he knew that Hermione was one of his best friends, but if he spent any more time in the library with her, he was going to crack. "We have him back, don't we?" he continued. "That's all that matters!" He leaned down and shook the snoring lump that was hidden underneath the covers. "Harry, wake up!"

The only response Ron got was a muffled grunt. Harry curled up in a defensive position under the covers, only to have them ripped away a moment later.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione urged, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him gently.

"At least we know he's back," Ron mumbled, chuckling quietly as he noted Harry's usual reluctance to get out of bed. "And he thought _I _was bad?"

At that moment, Harry decided to open his eyes, giving up his attempt to try and continue sleeping. "What is it?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes, his voice sluggish.

"It's good to have you ba --" Ron began, but was cut off as Hermione stomped on his foot. Comprehension dawned on his face, realising what he was about to say. "It's good to have you awake," he said as quickly as he could, trying to cover himself up. "It's almost dinner time, you know."

"Oh, well, I'm actually not that hungry," Harry replied in a hollow voice as he ran a hand through his hair. Hermione placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot on the floor, a small smile making it's way onto her face. Would he ever change? Maybe they'd never know.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I don't remember," Harry replied in a meek voice, a look of agitation and anger slowly making its way onto his face. Hermione's smile was instantly wiped away, an indescribable sadness welling up inside of her chest.

"Well, there you have it," she replied, covering up her emotions. "You'll have to eat _something_, at least. Come on. Let's go down now before our seats are taken." Ron nodded his agreement and turned to leave as Harry stood reluctantly, running a shaking hand through his hair.

- - -

The moment Harry set foot inside the Great Hall, he regretted coming down with Ron and Hermione. The students closest to the doors grew silent the moment they set eyes on him. The silence began spreading, and within seconds, it was so quiet a pin could be heard if dropped.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione whispered, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him to the Gryffindor table. "Just ignore them." Harry nodded dumbly, trying to interpret the strange looks he was receiving once again. It was starting to get _really _irritating. What has been going on?

"Oh, I am _so _hungry," Ron moaned, piling his plate with anything he could get his hands on. Harry watched his friend with slight disgust as he loaded his fork with mashed potatoes and shoved it into his mouth. Hermione glanced at him as he put a very small amount of food on his plate, a worried expression flitting over her features.

"Are you feeling okay, Harry?" she questioned, her voice taking on a motherly tone. She placed a hand on Harry's forehead, only to have him shake it off.

"I'm _fine_, Hermione," he snapped. He immediately regretted his tone, knowing that she was only trying to help. "I guess I'm just tired," he added, avoiding her eyes. "Look, I'm going to take a walk. I need to think." Without waiting for a response, Harry stood up and hastily left the Great Hall, keeping his head down the whole way to avoid looking at anyone.

"I'm worried about him, Ron," Hermione whispered as her gaze followed her other best friend out of the hall. "He seems so withdrawn. What could be wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure," the redhead replied, a sympathetic expression making its way onto his face. There was a moment of silence between them before either spoke again. "What do you say we follow him?"

"Ron, if we do that, he's going to think we're spying on him," Hermione replied.

"Not if we're careful about it," Ron continued. "Come on, Hermione. Don't you want to know what's wrong with him? What if it's serious?"

"Alright," the brunette replied, convinced after Ron's last statement. She'd do anything to figure out what was wrong with Harry. She stood up, brushed off her robes, and helped Ron off the bench. "Let's go."

- - -

Draco watched Ron and Hermione leave the Great Hall from his usual seat at the Slytherin table. He knew they were after Harry, who left just moments before. He also knew that there was something that seemed to be troubling the raven-haired Gryffindor. That was when his usually hidden curiosity got the best of him.

Waiting a little while as not to look suspicious, Draco stood, ignoring the other Slytherins, and left in pursuit of the Gryffindors.

- - -

"I checked the common room and boys' dormitory, but he was nowhere to be found," Ron stated when he met Hermione in a corridor on the seventh floor. They had been searching for him for perhaps a little over an hour, but there had been no luck so far.

"He -- he wasn't in the library, or anywhere else on the second floor," Hermione replied breathlessly, clutching a stitch in her side.

"Well, where else could he be?" Ron questioned, heaving a frustrated sigh as he fell into a sitting position against the wall. Hermione followed suit, placing her flushed face in her hands.

"I highly doubt that he would wander down to the dungeons, since that is mostly Slytherin territory," she began after a tense moment of silence. "He wouldn't go down to the kitchens, as he already said that he wasn't hungry. I'm not sure where else he could be!"

"There is the Room of Requirement," Ron suggested, casting a guarded glance at the distraught brunette, whose head snapped up immediately after his statement. The redhead stood up and offered a hand to pull her to her feet.

"I'm really worried about him, Ron," Hermione said again, her voice quiet, tugging at a loose thread in her sleeve. The mere gesture reminded Ron of his dark-haired companion. "He usually tells us what's bothering him."

"I know, I'm worried too," Ron replied just as quietly. He reached for the hand that was pulling at the thread and used his thumb to rub her palm in a soothing gesture. Her surprised cinnamon brown gaze met his steady blue one. "Let's just go find him."

- - -

Harry stopped running as soon as he came near the Gryffindor common room. Avoiding his friends was no easy feat. He knew it wasn't right, and he felt guilty about it, but he had to get away.

As he tried to get his breathing and heart rates back to normal, he noticed an unfamiliar corridor that branched off of the one he was in. His curiosity getting the best of him, Harry followed it to a small set of stairs that led up to another corridor. At the very end, there was only one solitary door.

Harry pushed open the door and immediately found himself choking on a surprised gasp. If he had stopped to imagine what could be waiting beyond this door, this would have certainly been the last thing that would come to mind. It was as if someone had taken a piece of the Forbidden Forest and placed it here in the castle. What really amazed him the most, however, was what appeared to be a missing section of the wall that was at his left.

As he walked through the room, heading toward the waterfall in the far corner of the room, Harry couldn't help feeling that this all seemed vaguely familiar.

- - -

A sly figure slipped into the Room of Seasons, unnoticed, approximately ten minutes after Harry had arrived. Their only goal at the present was to find the Gryffindor. They weren't really expecting to see him in here, so they could say that they were surprised to see said person sitting underneath the waterfall in the far corner of the room. How was he supposed to know about this room, after all? Was it just an accident that he found it? The figure then began moving toward Harry, walking through the grass as quietly as they could.

Harry was seated in the shallow water with his knees drawn up to his chest, his arms resting on top of them, supporting his head. The water cascading down the rocks behind him splashed down on his neck and back, soaking him through.

"What's wrong?"

The unexpected voice caused the Gryffindor to jump, his body tensing as though preparing himself for an attack. Other than that, he gave no indication that he knew someone else was there. Maybe if he ignored them, they would leave him alone. But, of course, there was no such luck.

"What's wrong?" the person repeated. It was then that Harry noticed that the voice sounded oddly familiar, yet a little strained, as if the person speaking was forcing themselves to sound nice or concerned. Well, if they weren't going to leave, Harry may as well say something to shut them up.

"Nothing," was the short reply. He drew his knees in closer, burying his head father into his folded arms. It was none of this person's business anyway, so why should _they _care?

"You're lying," the figure countered, lowering themselves into the water, moving a little closer to hear the Gryffindor better. They immediately regretted it, however, as the cold water began seeping through their clothes.

"Well, you would too if all of the horrors in your past were fresh in your mind, seeming like they have just happened all over again." Harry immediately cringed; letting his anger out at the git that was slowly pushing him toward the edge get the best of him caused his tongue to slip. He mentally banged his head against a wall, withdrawing himself once more.

"I -- I had no idea," the figure replied, a slight hint of regret now hidden in their words. There was also confusion, since it wasn't the response they had expected and it wasn't exactly normal to have something like this happen to someone.

"No one ever will," Harry added, his voice now shaking. If he let this much of his problem out already, why shouldn't he just continue, even if it may come back to haunt him one day? Nothing seemed to matter anymore. "It's not everyday that someone has to relive the night their parents were murdered, or listening to your mother's screams echo in your head as the dementors get close. It's not everyday you relive the moment where a fellow student was being killed, when all you could do was stand there helplessly, or you come face to face with the most evil, twisted wizard alive and barely escape with your life." Harry's anger seeped away, only to be replaced by a deep, dark sadness that threatened to swallow him. He didn't even know who this person was, but once he started, he couldn't stop. This person could end up using all of this information against him one day, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. It was as if life as he knew it ceased to exist.

"You may think that sounds horrible, but having to watch your godfather, a man convicted for a murder he didn't commit, fall through a veil and not come through the other side is torture. Having your parents die is bad, but it's harder to recognize that when you barely even knew them. Having the only caring member of your family disappear from your life, leaving you with horrible Muggles that make your life a living hell has to be one of the worst things that can happen."

By the end of this tirade, Harry was sobbing, something he hoped wouldn't happen. This person probably thought of him as some pathetic fool, but he didn't care. It was as if his mind had shut down. All he knew was that he was suddenly craving an affectionate gesture, some kind of positive human contact that he was deprived of most of his life. That must have been why he found himself crawling blindly toward the person and embracing them, tears and water streaming down his face. He sobbed into their neck, his body shaking uncontrollably, until there was nothing left. He cherished this moment as much as he could, feeling that one like this would never come again.

When he fell limp into this person's arms, something sparked in Harry's exhausted mind; he couldn't help but wonder who he had just opened his soul up for, not to mention embraced unexpectedly. When he pulled away to see who this mysterious person was, Harry found himself looking into the startled grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

- - -

Hope you all liked it. Suggestions for the upcoming chapters are openly accepted. Now...please leave a review! My current goal is to get at least 200. Yes, that's a lot, but...why not?

I have a question, though. Has anyone here read a fic where Draco and Harry get into a fight/duel, and something happens? They have to have constant physical contact, otherwise they get really painful headaches. I think that's it. If anyone knows that title, please leave it in a review. Thanks!

...TBC...


	12. Remembering

Okay, yes, it has been a long time once again. There was more trouble with writing it as well as school and all that. Plus, my birthday was last month (Sweet Sixteen. Woo hoo!). Anyway, this chapter may seem a little slow, since some of it is bits from previous chapters. Hopefully it's still okay all the same.

Thank you all for the great reviews for chapter 11. So close to meeting my goal! Oh well. It's only four below. That is still greatly appreciated. For those of you that are waiting for the slash, sorry, but not yet. Rushing into things bothers me, and they have been enemies for about six years. Don't worry, though. It _should _happen soon enough.

I'd also like to thank my beta, Izzy. Only a friend like her would be willing to put up with me. XD

Oh, for those of you that wanted to know the title of the story I was looking for, it's _Protective Bonds _by Sadie DragonFire. Thanks, CynthiaClaire!

Anyway, here ya go.

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

**Note: **There may be a little bit of OOCness again.

- - -

_When he fell limp into this person's arms, something sparked in Harry's exhausted mind; he couldn't help but wonder who he had just opened his soul up for, not to mention embraced unexpectedly. When he pulled away to see who this mysterious person was, Harry found himself looking into the startled grey eyes of Draco Malfoy._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 12:** Remembering

Harry immediately tensed when he recognized those grey eyes; he felt as if his world had suddenly come to a screeching halt. Harry closed his eyes, just wishing that the floor would open up and swallow him whole. _Why _did it have to be Malfoy, of all people? He always seemed to be behind everything that went wrong.

When Harry regained his senses, he turned, stumbled out of the water, and fled. He ran at full tilt toward the door, his sodden clothes making the movement difficult. He ignored Draco's calls, desperate to get as far from there as possible. He flew along the corridor and down a small flight of stairs, not really caring where he was headed.

Just as Harry reached the main corridor, he collided with another person and knocked them to the floor. The squeal of pain that immediately followed informed him that it was a girl.

"_Harry?_"

The voice seemed somewhat far away, the sound being overridden by the pounding in his head. Opening his eyes, he saw the blurred outline of Hermione Granger. She offered him a hand to pull him up to his feet. He swayed on the spot where he stood, his eyes going in and out of focus. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "What happened?"

"Her--Hermione, I -- I--" Harry began before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, kneeling next to him. She brushed the damp hair out of his face, a look of deep concern in her eyes.

"What happened to him?" Ron questioned, kneeling next to her. "Surely you two didn't collide _that _hard."

"Ron, he's obviously overstressed!" the brunette cried, looking over at the redhead with a scandalized expression. "After all that he's been through recently, it's not that surprising!"

"Alright, alright!" Ron replied defensively, holding his hands up in front of him. "Let's just take him up to the dormitory; he may feel better after he sleeps."

"Okay," Hermione sighed quietly as she stood up and moved toward Harry's feet. "Here, help me carry him."

"Wait, can't we just levitate him?" the redhead questioned, looking at her with a somewhat confused expression on his freckled face.

"No," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "Using magic may just put even more stress on him." She leaned down and picked up his feet while Ron went around and put his hands under Harry's arms.

"Damn, " he whispered, looking down at his unconscious friend with a worried expression. "When did he get so light? Do you think Malfoy refused to feed him?"

"It may not have been Malfoy," Hermione replied, averting her gaze from Harry's face to Ron's. "It may have been his aunt and uncle. After hearing what he said about them, it's not all that surprising. After all, it seemed that Malfoy and Harry were getting kind of close. _Leo Dormiens_," she added when they arrived at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room; the Fat Lady looked down at them worriedly before the portrait swung open.

"Let's hurry," Hermione whispered as they passed through the opening. "Ignore whatever anyone says and don't make eye contact. The last thing Harry needs is more rumours going around." Ron nodded his understanding, focusing his gaze on Harry's scar.

"Hey, Ron, where were you?" Seamus asked as soon as the two entered the common room. "You promised this morning that you would play against me in Exploding--whoa." His attention turned from Ron to Harry when he recognized the unconscious teen. "What happened to him? Did someone try to drown him in the lake?"

As they had agreed, Ron and Hermione didn't say a word as they walked through, though Ron felt his hands tingling, as though they wanted to wrap themselves around Seamus' throat.

When they finally reached the seventh year boys' dormitory, they placed Harry on his bed and drew his curtains. "What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Ron and Hermione jumped, not realizing that Seamus had followed them up the stairs. "Come on, you can tell me."

"Look, Seamus," Hermione hissed, rounding on him, "_we _don't even know what's wrong with him! Now, you better not say anything to anyone else outside of this tower that hasn't already seen him like this, unless you want to walk around spilling your deepest secrets to anyone who tries to talk to you. I'm sure you have some pretty interesting things to tell." The brunette took out her wand and twirled it in her hand, giving Seamus a sinister glare. The boy merely gulped before nodding quickly and hurriedly fleeing the room.

"At least that got rid of him," Hermione said quietly as soon as the door closed. "We can't risk anything else about Harry getting out to the other students, whether it's the truth or not. He might not be able to handle it."

"I agree," Ron said quietly, before he snapped his head up to look at her. "Wait, are you saying that you didn't mean what you told Seamus?"

"Well, I _did _mean the 'don't tell anyone' part," Hermione replied, chuckling quietly. "Other than that, no, I didn't mean the hexing bit. I just didn't want him staying in here while Harry is in this condition."

"Right," the redhead muttered, nodding his head. "You should act like that more often; it would certainly give you more privacy so you could study." A smirk played on Ron's lips as he watched for her reaction, knowing the chances would be too good for her to pass up.

"I wouldn't be able to act like that all the time," she replied, her face growing serious. "Anyway, you're getting off subject, Ron. Let's just go downstairs and leave Harry to sleep. He'll probably feel better in the morning."

Before she left the room, Hermione turned to look at Harry. "I have a feeling that there's something more to this that you're not telling us," she muttered softly before closing the door.

- - -

Draco stormed through the portrait hole and into his private dormitory, immediately heading straight for his bedroom. His resounding footsteps caused his pounding head to feel even worse. If he hadn't pushed anything out of Harry, he wouldn't be feeling this stressed. _Why _did he have to chase after him?

_You know you can't help feeling _something _for him_, a small part of his mind stated simply. Draco didn't even bother arguing with himself; he knew it was true, as much as he hated to admit it. He just wished that none of this had ever happened. If he hadn't gotten stuck with the child, he wouldn't be feeling like this right now.

"I'm supposed to hate him," Draco spat angrily to no one in particular. "In a way I still do, but --" The blonde sighed and fell forward onto his bed. "It just doesn't seem the same anymore!" he shouted, his voice muffled by one of the pillows. With a frustrated yell, he threw the offending object across the room. "My life sucks!"

In another part of the castle, several floors above where Draco was fighting a losing battle against his thoughts, another student was having a war with their dreams.

- - -

_A five-year-old Harry trailed after Draco along a corridor in the dungeons. They soon arrived at a portrait of a fierce, silver dragon, one that terrified him when it roared. The young Gryffindor wrapped his arms around Draco's knees, attempting to hide._

_The room beyond the entrance amazed the boy; he had never been given the chance to see anything like this before. Everything looked so -- _perfect_, to put it simply. The only thought he could process was that he had to explore this mysterious place. _

_With that thought in mind, Harry ran through the living room and up the small flight of stairs. He practically flew over the carpet, only coming to a halt when he reached the first open door. Rushing inside, he saw that it was a bathroom. Harry climbed onto the tiled counter and peered at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes automatically went up to his forehead, his gaze tracing the mysterious lightning scar. His aunt and uncle had told him that he had received it as the result of a car accident the night his parents died, but was that true?_

_A moment later, Draco skidded into the bathroom, stumbling over the small green rug. When he righted himself, he cast a quick glance around the room before settling his eyes on Harry. "Come on, Potter. Let's go back out there," he said after setting the small child on the floor._

"_Why don't you call me by my first name?" the Gryffindor asked quietly, a sad look crossing over his face. He looked about ready to cry._

"_Okay, I'm sorry," the blonde replied hesitantly. "Come on -- Harry."_

**FLASH**

_The scene shifted, and Harry found himself standing in the most spectacular room he had ever seen. There was grass growing from the floor, as well as large trees. The ceiling mirrored the sky outside perfectly, right down to every last detail. He stood and watched as a bushy haired girl, the one he knew as 'Mione, enunciated strange words, causing the room to change. One moment it was very cold and snowing, then the next it was warm and sunny. At one point, he laughed as a redheaded boy jumped out of the water exclaiming, "It bit me!" _

_When his thoughts returned to the strange words, he hesitantly went over to the girl. "'Mione? How did you do all of that?" he asked nervously. "The room changed so quickly when you said those funny words." Hermione glanced down at him, looking slightly shaken before smiling._

"_It's called magic, Harry."_

**FLASH**

_Harry and Draco were back in the strange room with the grass and trees. Brightly coloured creatures hovered around them, fawning over the nervous child like he was a newborn baby. The yellow one, who had made herself known as Circe, looked down at them, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips._

"_You two don't _look _like enemies, though."_

**FLASH**

"_My -- my mother died," Draco was saying from his position on the couch, his voice sounding constricted. Harry was lying on top of him, looking down at him with a sad expression._

"_My mum died, too," the small boy said quietly. "I don't know how. In the dream, there was a lot of green light and -- and --" He grew silent, his small form shaking slightly._

"_It's okay," the blonde said soothingly, even though he knew it was a lie. He was preoccupied with fighting his own emotions. His thoughts turned into images as he fell into a fitful slumber. Harry shifted his position, moving up to place his head under the Slytherin's chin._

"_I love you, Draco."_

- - -

Harry bolted upright in his bed, parts of his dream flying through his dazed mind. "What the bloody hell was that all about?" he whispered quietly, reaching up to rub his throbbing head. He looked out of the window near his bed, seeing that the sunrise was just beginning. "That didn't seem like any normal dream." It also seemed odd that the whole thing featured him as a young boy, and -- that damned Draco Malfoy.

"I can't take this anymore," Harry whispered fiercely as he slipped out of his bed. He swayed a bit on his feet, his head now feeling light. His anger was now boiling to the surface once more. _I need answers _now.

With that thought in mind, Harry fled the dormitory and out of the common room, headed straight for the dungeons.

- - -

Draco swept aimlessly through the dungeon corridors, his mood as dark as ever. Since his war with his thoughts the night before, he had lied awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. He blamed his lack of energy on Harry, of course, since he was mainly the cause of all his problems in the first place.

_Speak of the devil_, Draco thought bitterly, looking up just in time to see Harry storming toward him, a look of clear disdain mingled with slight confusion and frustration written on his face.

"What do you want, Potter?" the blonde spat, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry only stopped when he was within a reaching distance of him.

"I need to talk to you," Harry replied, his voice icy. He looked as though he was fighting an internal battle, trying his best to not act rashly. "Has anything strange been happening? Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Other than the fact that you're still alive?" Draco hissed, glaring at the Gryffindor. A dark shadow passed over the other boy's face.

"I'm serious, you bleeding git," Harry snapped, clenching his hands at his sides. The anger that he was doing his best to restrain was beginning to surface. He didn't have time for this. He just needed to know whether he was losing his mind or not. "Something has happened, and I strongly believe that you were involved somehow. The last thing I remember before waking up yesterday was sitting in Charms class."

"Are you sure you just don't have short-term memory loss?" Draco retorted, his trademark smirk making its way onto his pale face. "I mean, we both know that you aren't one of the most intelligent people here. Maybe you just spaced out or --"

Draco was unable to finish the insult, as Harry's fist had collided with his jaw. He staggered backwards into the wall, reaching up to touch the sore skin. "You _bastard_!" he yelled as he tackled Harry, wrestling him to the stone floor. He began throwing punches, doing his best to beat Harry's face in. The Gryffindor's glasses were knocked off and shattered as they hit the floor a few feet away.

Before Draco could get into a sturdy position, Harry changed roles, flipping the blonde onto his back. Draco winced as pain shot up and down his body, but he eventually forgot about it as he was soon occupied with the fists that were once again being aimed at his head. "What the hell is _wrong _with you, Potter?" the blonde snapped, swinging at the crazed boy. Normally, it wasn't that easy to provoke him, but now, it seemed as if anything that was merely insulting would make him lash out.

When Draco didn't get an answer, he kneed the Gryffindor in the stomach, causing Harry to fall over and gasp for air. The blonde stood up, glaring at the slumped teen, and dusted himself off. He then reached up and gingerly touched his jaw, which has now swollen considerably.

Just as Draco was about to tell Harry off, a fist connected with his stomach. The air left his body as he fell to the floor, pain shooting up and down his body. _That's it -- this boy was going_ down, the blonde thought.

When Draco gathered his wits, he tackled Harry's knees, causing the boy to come crashing down to the stone floor. His breath came out in a single, painful gasp. The Slytherin straddled Harry's stomach, pinning him down so his arms were free to pound the Gryffindor.

As fists were flying and harsh words were exchanged, neither boy noticed the tall, dark figure rounding the corner.

- - -

Professor Snape shut and locked the door to his private quarters, setting up the wards before turning to proceed down the corridor. It was fairly early in the morning, but the Potions classroom had to be set up for the day's lessons. At the mere thought of dictating hormonally stressed teenagers first thing in the morning, a scowl appeared on his face. It was an extremely difficult task to get them all to pay attention when it appeared that they had more '_important_' things on their minds.

The dungeons seemed oddly quiet at the moment. It may have been early in the morning, but usually there was at least some sign of life. It may be best this way, as anyone who crossed the easily-agitated professor may have found themselves in trouble for something as simple as being within his range of sight.

At that moment, the professor heard a loud thud from down an adjacent corridor. It sounded as if something had fallen onto the hard stone. Immediately following the sound was a string of colourful profanities. Drawing his wand, Snape walked around the corner to see just what was going on.

There, in the middle of the corridor, was a mass of black robes and flailing limbs. Snape caught sight of both platinum blonde and raven coloured hair, the two distinctions immediately revealing the two students. His anger rising, he aimed his wand at them. "_Impedimenta!_" he shouted. The two boys immediately sprang apart. They still tried to jump for each other, but the force of the spell held them back. Both were very red in the face and Harry was without his glasses.

"Just _what _is going on here!" the professor shouted, a livid expression on his lurid face. His dark eyes moved back and forth between both boys.

"He started it, sir," Draco muttered quietly, his eyes never leaving Harry's face. A smirk made its way onto the blonde's bruised face.

"Don't blame this all on _me_, Malfoy," Harry hissed, his emerald eyes narrowed angrily. "You participated in this just as much as I have."

"This is something I would expect from _you_, Potter," Professor Snape snapped, glaring at the emerald-eyed boy. "However, I am highly disappointed in you, Mr. Malfoy, for stooping down to his level. Be at the Potions classroom at eight o' clock sharp this evening to serve your detentions." The professor then turned around and swept down the corridor before either boy could say otherwise.

"Way to go, Potter," Draco muttered darkly, glaring at said boy. "Now I'm getting stuck with you against my will _once again_."

"What do you mean _once again_?" Harry questioned, a mixture of confusion and suspicion making its way onto his visage. "It's not too far into the school year, and --" The Gryffindor stopped in mid-sentence as a startled, yet somewhat guilty look crossed Draco's face.

"So something _has _happened," the raven-haired teen hissed quietly, his emerald eyes darkening in anger. He stepped closer to Draco, their faces mere inches apart.

"Think whatever you'd like, Potter," Draco snapped before turning on his heel and stalking down the corridor. Harry's voice floated after him.

"Well, I think that you'll be ready to explain all of this later, unless you'd rather be hexed beyond recognition," he shouted after the blonde. "See you in detention." With that said, he turned and stormed in the opposite direction.

- - -

"Where do you suppose he could be?" Hermione asked quietly as she and Ron made their way out of Gryffindor Tower.

"I'm not sure," the redhead replied. "I mean, we searched the whole dormitory, as well as the common room. He may have already gone down to the Great Hall, for all we know."

"It is possible," Hermione replied thoughtfully, "but it seems unlikely for him to wake up so early and not wait for us." A worried expression swept over her features before settling in her eyes.

"Yeah, you're right," Ron agreed, his voice just as quiet. The sudden change in his best mate's personality frightened him to no end, the fact being that he wasn't even sure of the cause. He would do anything he could to help him, even if it meant getting himself into trouble.

Ron's thoughts carried him all the way down to the entrance hall. In his trance-like state, he was quite surprised when Hermione suddenly grabbed onto his arm. "There he is!" she hissed quietly. Her gaze was riveted on the entrance to the dungeons.

"What do you think he was doing down there?" Ron questioned.

"Who cares?" Hermione hastily replied. "At least we know he's okay." She hurried toward her raven-haired friend and enveloped him in a tight embrace. "There you are, Harry!" the brunette exclaimed. "We were wondering where you had gotten off to."

Hermione then stepped back to take a look at him. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed the tired yet angry look in his eyes. "H--Harry?" she began tentatively. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied shortly. "Now, _please _leave me alone. I need to be by myself." Harry was just about to walk away from his two friends, but Hermione grabbed his arm before he got anywhere.

"Harry James Potter," she snapped, keeping a firm hold on his wrist, "you are going to tell us what's wrong. We are your friends and we should be able to help." She paused, a defiant look in her eyes. Harry also noticed worry and sadness, and he immediately regretted taking that tone with her. "Now, what is it?"

"It's hard to explain, really," Harry began, sighing in defeat. "I have the feeling that something has happened, something that involved Malfoy, but no one will tell me anything." He looked up at his friends, a hopeful glint shining dully in his emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione whispered quietly, averting her gaze. "I'm not exactly sure how to explain things, but there is someone else that does. Yes, something _did _happen." She paused, looking up at her friend with a worried expression. "Just talk to Malfoy."

- - -

"_There he is_."

"_Where do you suppose he's going?_"

"_Who knows? Maybe he's going to see _Malfoy."

Harry walked amidst the sniggers that emanated from a small crowd of gossipers on his way down to the dungeons. The smirks that were plastered on their faces only made his temper rise. He had no clue what the hell they were talking about; it was as if they all knew something he didn't.

The fuming Gryffindor swept through the corridors, only pausing when he reached the oak door that would lead to the Potions classroom, which has also become known as the room of hell in his eyes. Drawing in a breath, he pushed it open and walked into the classroom. When he saw what lie beyond the threshold, a groan immediately escaped his lips.

Set up along the back wall were about thirty or so large cauldrons, all covered in different types potions that had gone wrong. There were a couple buckets with cleaner and several rags placed inside of them waiting on a desk. Draco was sitting at a desk near the front, looking at him with a livid expression on his pale face.

"Now that you are both here, I will begin to explain what you are to do tonight."

Harry jumped at the voice. Spinning around quickly, he noticed the surly Potions professor standing behind his parchment-covered desk. "First, you are to clean out each of those cauldrons, _by hand_," Snape began, making a sweeping gesture at said objects. "Then you will clean all of the desks, also by hand. Lastly, you will sort all of the potion ingredients. Be sure that they are all placed back in the cupboard _neatly_." He placed emphasis on the last word, casting a glare in Harry's direction.

"I will be back in approximately two hours," the professor continued. "If your tasks aren't done correctly, or there is fighting of any kind, you will both be serving detention with me for the remainder of the week."

Professor Snape then turned around and walked out of the classroom without a backward glance, slamming the door closed behind him. As soon as his brisk footsteps could no longer be heard, Harry rounded on Draco.

"Are ready to tell me what has been going on yet, or are you just going to sit there and stare at the wall?" Harry muttered quietly, folding his arms over his chest. Draco glanced up at him, both his face and his eyes devoid of any emotion. He merely stood up without a word and walked to the back of the room, reaching for a rag and setting to work.

"It seems like I have to now, doesn't it?" the blonde questioned a moment later as Harry kneeled next to him, preparing to scrub one of the cauldrons. With a sigh, Draco turned to face the Gryffindor, his hands resting on his knees.

"Now, you may have altered my memory earlier, but if I remember correctly, you told me that the last thing you remember was being in Charms, right?" he asked somewhat darkly. Harry nodded slowly as he sat down in front of Draco, apprehension noticeable in his eyes. "Well, it seems fitting, as that is where it had happened. You see, Crabbe fell into me for some reason, so my aim was thrown off while I was casting the spell. As a result, you were struck by a miscast _Decreso Aetas _charm and left in my care because I was the one that had done it." He then rolled his eyes, remembering when he was given those instructions.

"So, are you saying that somehow I got younger?" Harry asked, an eyebrow raised. Draco merely nodded, confirming his fear. "Exactly how much younger did I get?"

"I think Professor Snape said about five-years-old or so, but he wasn't entirely sure," the blonde replied, leaning back against one of the cauldrons. He immediately regretted the action, however, when he realized that it was still covered in a bluish-green slime. Harry had the sudden urge to laugh at his disgusted expression, but he ignored it.

"Why don't I remember it, though?" Harry asked, confusion apparent on his face. "If it just happened recently, then I should have at least _some _recollection of it."

"I don't think so," Draco replied, shaking his head. "In a way, this took place during your childhood, which we usually don't remember."

"Well, I saw bits of things in my dreams," Harry muttered quietly. "But it was very weird and confusing. It seemed as if I..._liked _you." After saying the last part, the Gryffindor wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"You did," Draco replied, a smug expression on his pale face. "You wouldn't leave my side the whole time."

"Shut up, you prat," Harry muttered, bringing his knees up to his chest. "However, none of this explains why some of my worst memories are so fresh in my mind, seeming like they have happened all over again."

Draco paused for a moment, attempting to interpret his thoughts. "Well, while you were still under the effects of the spell, you had a series of dreams. By the sound of it, it seems like you were assaulted by all of your worst memories because they plagued your mind the most while you were in your normal state."

"In other words," Harry began in a somewhat calm voice, though his temper was rising slightly, "it's your fault that I remember everything so clearly. Thank you, Malfoy, for ruining my life _once again_."

"Shut up, Potter," Draco snapped, closing his eyes. "The last thing I need right now is us getting into another fight, followed by a whole week of detention." He paused, struck by a sudden thought. "I have an idea," he began tentatively. "Why don't we just put our past behind us?"

"Do you even realize how cheesy that sounds?" Harry questioned. A scowl then began making its way onto his face. "Wait, so you just want me to forget all of the hell you put my friends and I though all these years? All the snide remarks about our families or bloodlines?"

"Look," Draco replied, heaving a sigh, "I know it sounds nearly impossible, but it would make things a whole lot easier for everyone. There would be less arguments and hostility, not to mention no more detentions for fighting in the corridors."

"Fine," Harry mumbled. "I guess it's worth a try. Let's just start over and see where things go from there." Draco nodded in reply.

"Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy," he said, holding out a slender hand.

"Harry Potter," the Gryffindor replied with a slight smirk. He grasped Draco's hand and shook it, the mere gesture holding a bit of a promise for the near future.

- - -

Hope you all liked it. Make sure to leave a long review! Thanks!

...TBC...


	13. Bonding

First off, I guess I will say that school needs to disappear. That's why it took so long to update. But I must point this out; there won't be another update for a while. There are two major projects that I have to work on during the next few weeks. Sorry about that. This chapter is the longest so far, so hopefully it makes up for lost time, right?

Thanks to all those who reviewed! They really keep me going! The suggestions were also great. I'll do my best to work with them. Oh, is it still okay to have those links, InuLorien? XD

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

**Note: **There may be a little bit of OOCness again.

Anyway, here goes nothing. Hope you enjoy!

- - -

"_Fine," Harry mumbled. "I guess it's worth a try. Let's just start over and see where things go from there." Draco nodded in reply._

"_Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy," he said, holding out a slender hand._

"_Harry Potter," the Gryffindor replied with a slight smile. He grasped Draco's hand and shook it, the mere gesture holding a bit of a promise for the near future._

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 13:** Bonding

_The two boys let go of each other's hands, an awkward silence now spreading over them. What was one supposed to say after 'befriending' a person that has been their enemy for six or so years?_

_As if for a distraction, Harry looked down at his watch. A string of colorful profanities immediately emanated from his lips. Draco looked up at him, a questioning expression on his pointed face. "What is it?" he asked._

"_It's about forty-five minutes into the detention and we haven't so much as cleaned a single cauldron," Harry muttered, a grimace making its way onto his face as he looked at the slime-covered objects. Draco's eyes widened before he hurriedly set to work._

"_The last thing I need is to spend a whole week with Snape," he replied, looking disgusted as he began scrubbing the inside of one. "I mean, I may respect him, but that man can be scary whenever he pleases."_

"_No slacking off then, Malfoy," the Gryffindor said with a smirk. Draco turned toward him to retort, only to get hit in the face with a slime-covered rag._

- - -

"Harry! Where have you been?" Hermione exclaimed as soon as the raven-haired boy set foot in the dimly lit Gryffindor common room. "It's past ten o' clock!"

"I know," Harry replied, falling onto the couch next to where she was seated. "I had detention with Snape. Where's Ron?"

"He just went up to bed," the brunette replied. "He's really worried about you, you know. We both are." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands. "Why did you get a detention? What did you do?" she continued after a moment of silence. She turned to face him properly. "And where did you get those cuts and bruises? I didn't notice them earlier."

"You were probably too worried to notice," Harry muttered, a small smile playing on his lips. "I got into a fight with Malfoy, and that was why I had detention. Nothing to worry about, 'Mione."

"'_Mione?_' Since when have you decided to call me that?" Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow in question, though something unreadable flitted over her features.

"I'm not sure," Harry murmured, grimacing slightly. "I recalled it from a dream I had last night."

"So -- so you know about -- you were able to remember --" Hermione trailed off, looking up at the raven-haired boy expectantly. She seemed to have a sort of hopeful gleam shining in her eyes.

"Yes," Harry replied. "I talked to Malfoy about it during the detention. He even had a theory about why certain memories are so fresh in my mind."

"I remember when he told us you were having those dreams," the brunette whispered. "You were so upset about them." She paused, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "At least you got to remember how well he treated you, despite the whole 'arch-enemy' thing."

"It seems so childish now that I think about it," Harry replied quietly, leaning his head back to look up at the ceiling. "That may be one reason why I agreed with him about putting the past behind us and forgetting all of that. We shook hands on it during detention."

"Really?" Hermione questioned, her face shining in the dim firelight. "This is great! Do you know what this means? We can now increase the number of inter-house relations. Once the rest of the school sees that the most famous rivalry has ended, others may follow in your footsteps."

"It's probably easier said than done," Harry said, shaking his head. "We have been at each other's throats for so many years, so it will be a little more than difficult to forget all of the things we have said or done." He then stood up, stretching. "Well, I'm off to bed. I'm exhausted. 'Night, 'Mione," he added, pulling her into a quick hug before making his way up the stairs to the dormitory.

"'Night, Harry," she called after him, standing up as well. _Don't worry_, she thought, a somewhat sly grin making its way onto her face. _I'll help you two along somehow._

- - -

"Oi! Harry! Wake up!"

The voice brought Harry out of his light slumber. He sat up in his bed, rubbing his sleep-filled eyes, only to be hit in the face with a pillow.

"Ron, you git," he growled half-heartedly, throwing the offending object at the chuckling redhead. "Was there ever a time when you woke me up in a decent manner?" The redhead looked thoughtful for a moment, before a sly grin made its way onto his freckled face. He appeared pretty cheerful, but there was still a little bit of worry mingled with slight relief for his friend hidden in his eyes.

"Nope," he replied. "It worked though, didn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Harry mumbled, rolling his eyes at the other boy. Chuckling quietly, he stood up, stretched, and headed toward the bathroom. "I'll be done in a bit. Meet you down there."

"You better hurry!" Ron called after him before heading down to the common room. "You don't want to be late to Potions!"

"Bloody hell," the raven-haired boy mumbled to himself as he turned on the water for a shower. "Just what I need first thing in the morning. More of Snape."

- - -

Harry met up with Ron and Hermione down in the Great Hall. As he ate his breakfast, he couldn't help but notice just how close the two were sitting to one another, and how Ron's hand seemed to brush her arm every time he reached for something on the table. It appeared as if Hermione was pretending not to notice, but Harry saw a pink tinge appear in her cheeks every time it happened.

"So," he began, "did you two finally get together while I was _ill_?" Harry attempted to make his voice sound nonchalant, as if this was something they talked about every day. Across the table, Ron and Hermione's faces turned a brilliant shade of red.

"What -- what makes you say that?" the redhead questioned, his voice slightly high-pitched.

"Oh, nothing," Harry replied, his voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Just wondering." As if of their own will, his eyes wandered away from his embarrassed friends and settled on a solitary blonde figure at the Slytherin table on the other side of the Great Hall. It seemed as if that person could feel him looking at them because they raised their head, and emerald clashed against silver.

Harry still couldn't believe what he did just the night before. Of all the things that could have happened, he had befriended none other than Draco Malfoy. He wouldn't even go as far as calling them friends yet. It was more like _acquaintances_. Harry didn't even know how things would work out. To him, the two of them were just too different. It seemed as if they would just have to wait and see.

"Harry? Harry!"

The raven-haired teen looked up at the sound his name. Ron was waving his hand in his face, apparently trying to get his attention. "You okay there, mate?" the redhead questioned. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes."

"Oh, sorry," Harry replied, grinning sheepishly. "I was just thinking."

"Well, it's time to go," Ron replied. "You can save that for Potions." It was then that Harry noticed students were leaving the Great Hall. He hurriedly stood, only to tread on his robes and stumble. Hermione appeared by his side and helped him to his feet.

"Come on," she said, chuckling quietly. "We better hurry or we'll be late."

The trio exited the Great Hall and went down to the dungeons. A group of Slytherins was standing just outside of the classroom, all of them talking quietly to one another. A good amount of them sneered as Harry, Ron and Hermione passed, but no one said anything, even Draco, who was usually the one to instigate. It looked as if even Ron noticed this, if the raised eyebrow and disbelieving expression was anything to go by.

"Okay," the redhead began as they sat at their usual seats in the back of the room. "Is it just me, or did Malfoy just totally ignore us instead of giving the usual verbal attack?" Harry and Hermione instantly shared a knowing look that was overlooked.

"Ron, about that," Harry started. "I have to tell you something. It's about Mal**--**" He was then cut off as Snape stalked into the classroom, slamming the heavy door behind him.

"There will be no need for your textbooks today," the professor snapped. Those that had been reaching for them placed them back in their bags. "Today we will begin the process of concocting an extremely advanced draught known as the Polyjuice Potion." A surprised gasp was heard from the majority of the students. Only three of them exchanged a knowing glance that went unnoticed.

"Now, who here can tell me what the Polyjuice Potion may be used for?" The man's onyx gaze swept the room, looking for the poor soul he was going to pick on that day. To no one's surprise, Hermione's hand shot into the air, but Snape merely ignored her. Instead, his lips curled into a smirk when his gaze settled on a certain redhead. "Mr. Weasley!" he snapped, jarring Ron out of his stupor. The boy looked around curiously before answering.

"Erm --" he began, his hesitation earning a few laughs from the Slytherins. They were probably already betting that he would be wrong. "It can be used to disguise as another. The main ingredient is a hair or some other bit of that person. It is a good way to spy on or interrogate others." When he finished, he let out a small sigh of relief. Snape looked surprised for a moment before he masked it with his usual scowl.

"Correct," the man snapped before turning to face the rest of the class. "During battles, the draught may be used to pose as a member of the opposite side and the person is able to go against them, making them appear as a traitor..."

Harry tuned out as Snape continued his banter. He didn't want to hear about anything involving battles of any kind. It just brought so many memories back to the surface. Also, he had a hands-on experience with the potion, so he didn't want to have to hear what Hermione had told him during their Second year.

"Now," Snape continued, slapping his hand down on his desk, violently bring Harry back to reality. "As much as this pains me, you will be choosing your partners for this lengthy assignment. Just remember," he added with a sneer, "your performance will be based on how you work with the person and how well the work is completed, so be careful with your choice. Instructions are on the board for today's assignment and the ingredients are on the front desks. Be extremely careful with them, as some are very hard to obtain. Get to work!"

As soon as the command was given, the classroom went into a frenzy, students partnering up with their friends. Harry made a move toward Ron, but Hermione got there first. Confusion instantly passed over both of the boys' faces; Hermione usually worked with Neville. What was she playing at?

The raven-haired boy cast one last bewildered look at his two friends before turning to gaze around the room. All of the Gryffindors seemed to be paired up already. Dread welled up inside of him as he glanced at the Slytherins, most of which were paired off as well. Hope was just beginning to make an appearance in his eyes, and he began thinking that it might be possible to make a group of three with Ron and Hermione if there was no one left.

Just as he was about to head over toward his friends, Harry noticed a lone blonde figure out of the corner of his eye. Draco was currently glaring at Blaise Zabini, who was his usual partner. Blaise, it seemed, had decided to pair up with an attractive Slytherin girl in the back of the room.

Masking his uneasiness, Harry slowly made his way over to the blonde and sat next to him. Draco raised an eyebrow, a small smirk making its way over his features. "Potter," he greeted.

"Malfoy," Harry replied, inclining his head slightly.

"I see that you were abandoned by your friend as well," the blonde muttered, gesturing vaguely toward the other side of the room. Harry chuckled lightly, chancing a quick glance at Ron and Hermione as he set up his cauldron. Ron shrugged, casting a sympathetic look in his direction. Hermione, however, had a small, suspicious smile on her face.

"I guess you could say that," he replied, turning back to light a fire under the cauldron. The two then fell into silence as they began preparing the tools that would be needed for that day.

"Now," Draco began a moment later. "It says on the board that today we have to add the knotgrass, fluxweed, leeches, and lacewing flies. The boomslang skin and powdered horn of bicorn aren't supposed to be added until later on down the road, and our hairs are added at the very end." Harry nodded, and the two of them went up to get the ingredients.

"The lacewing flies need to stew for twenty-one days," Harry muttered. "You may want to get used to being around me, Malfoy. We're going to be working together for a while."

"Oh, shut up," Draco retorted with a roll of his eyes. "Just start cutting these up," he added, pushing the cup of leeches toward the Gryffindor. "I'm not messing with those things."

The remainder of the class was worked mostly in silence. Moments before the bell rang, Professor Snape called for the class' attention.

"As you have surely noticed by now, this is going to be a difficult assignment," he began. "By the end, I don't expect many of you to have the correct outcome. All I can say is that you need to try your best. However, those that do finish the potion correctly will be testing it at the very end. You will spend an hour of the last day of this assignment as your partner."

Just as the professor finished his last sentence, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. The students made their way for the door, all whispering excitedly. It wasn't everyday that you literally got to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

- - -

"Hermione, what exactly was that you did in the beginning of Potions?" Ron asked as he took his seat next to her at the Gryffindor table during lunch. He had been watching her for most of the morning, trying to read her behavior. It was odd enough that she suddenly paired up with him instead of Neville, but she didn't show that much sympathy for Harry when he had to work with Malfoy.

"What was what?" the brunette asked innocently as she began putting food on her plate.

"You know what I'm talking about," Ron muttered, pausing in mid-bite. "Why didn't you work with Neville like you usually do?"

"Oh, that," Hermione replied, a small smile making its way onto her face. "I merely thought that he deserved a break after what I put him through last year. Anyway, after all of that hard work, he's been getting better marks in the class."

"That may be true," Ron pointed out, "but you left Harry to work with the ferret."

"Oh, I think that he's able to take care of himself," Hermione countered, casting a quick glance in Harry's direction.

"That has nothing to do with it," the redhead replied, shaking his head. "Malfoy's a git that has done anything in his power to make our lives miserable. Especially Harry's."

"Look," Harry cut in as Hermione opened her mouth to retort. "Why don't we just forget about it? It's over and done with, so it doesn't matter. Anyway, we have done just about as much to him as he has done to us in the past, so it's about even."

"Harry, are you **-- **umph!" Ron began, but was silenced as Hermione stuffed a roll in his mouth. He merely raised an eyebrow at her before turning to look at Harry with a questioning expression on his face.

"Harry's right, Ron," the brunette pointed out. "Just don't dwell on it. Anyway, since the incident, he's been somewhat tolerable." After her statement, the redhead's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're mad," he muttered quietly after removing the roll, earning chuckles from both of his friends.

As Harry continued his meal, his gaze wandered restlessly around the Great Hall. He took in the smiling faces of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and then the scowling countenances of the Slytherins. One stood out in particular, and that was the pale, usually indifferent face of Draco Malfoy. The blonde was currently talking to Blaise, who was seated to his left. Harry watched as he spoke, his pale lips forming the words, and a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"Harry?"

The voice brought Harry's gaze away from the blonde. It seemed that every time he set eyes on Draco, someone brought him back to the Gryffindor table.

"What is it Ron?" he asked, turning to look at the redhead.

"Are you okay?" Ron questioned, looking at him worriedly. "You've been holding your fork in midair and staring off to space for the past few minutes."

"Oh," Harry muttered, now looking sheepish. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking again, is all." He then laid down his fork of cold mashed potatoes and pushed his plate away. "I guess I'm just not that hungry."

"Oh," Ron replied, a grin beginning to make its way onto his freckled face as he eyed Harry's plate. "In that case, can I have that?"

"Go ahead," the raven-haired boy replied, chuckling at his friend.

- - -

"Harry, you've got to tell him sooner or later," Hermione muttered. The two of them were now seated in the darkening Gryffindor common room. Ron was currently up in the boys' dormitory in search of extra parchment.

"I know," the raven-haired boy replied. "I tried earlier, but the only problem is that I'm not sure how he'll take it. I mean, Malfoy and I only agreed to be civil toward one another. It's not like we've become best friends overnight. And what exactly _were _you trying to pull in Potions? Don't say that it's just about giving Neville a break, either. I know there's more to it than that."

"Well, I thought that working with Malfoy would be a good opportunity to get to know him," Hermione replied. "I noticed that Zabini went to work with someone else, so that was your chance." The girl then paused, and she diverted her gaze down to her hands. "There's something else as well." She then hesitated, a red tint now beginning to stain her cheeks. When she finally spoke, her voice was so low that Harry had to strain to hear it. "I think I'm -- erm --beginning to -- kind of -- fancy Ron."

"Ah, I see," he replied, chuckling quietly after a moment of silence. "It's about time one of you figured out your feelings for the other. I think Ron's just in denial."

"Just promise not to tell him," Hermione pleaded, though a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"I promise," Harry replied, forcing a smile in return. He felt a sudden rush of emotion, but he couldn't quite place it. Happiness? Jealousy? As much as he hated to admit it, the Gryffindor thought that it could have been the latter, for he knew that he would never have what his friends could. It seemed like every time he got too close to someone, they were suddenly taken out of his life.

"What were you two talking about while I was gone?" Ron's voice brought Harry back to the present. The redhead looked from Hermione's flushed face to Harry's strained expression, a questionable eyebrow raised.

"Just about the Potions assignment," Harry lied, turning to give Hermione a quick pointed look. She nodded to show Ron her approval of the answer.

"This should be easy," the redhead replied quietly, a smile making its way onto his face. "I mean, we've done it before, so it shouldn't be that hard to produce the potion again. I just can't believe that he's going to make us test it. At least it's only if the potion is done correctly, though."

The three of them then fell into silence, the only sounds being heard were those of quills scratching on parchment, the crackling of the fire, and the light chatter of the younger students. Harry merely stared at his blank parchment, his mind drifting. He then watched idly as neat writing scrawled across the top of it as if by an invisible hand, thinking that his conscience was playing mind games with him.

_Wait -- I'd recognize that handwriting anywhere_, Harry thought as the words _Tell him _began fading from the parchment. He looked up just as Hermione was putting her wand back in the pocket of her robes. Heaving a sigh, Harry turned to face Ron.

"Ron, I'm just curious," he began, quickly going over his thoughts and trying to figure out the best way to word them. The redhead merely looked at him questioningly. "What would you say if one of your friends made an agreement with a Slytherin, and it involved both of them attempting to be nicer to one another?"

"I'd say that they were off their rocker," Ron replied. "Why? What makes you ask --" He then trailed off, realization dawning on his face. "Did -- did you?" All he got as a response was a numb nod from Harry. The redhead hung his head, fearing the worst. "Who was it?" Harry shot Hermione a helpless look before heaving a resigned sigh.

"Malfoy," the raven-haired boy muttered. Ron went rigid at the name, but then he slumped down in his chair in defeat.

"I thought that it would happen eventually," he sighed, raising his eyes to look at Harry. "Ever since the incident, you've seemed a lot different, and I thought that it would have been because of Malfoy. Hermione told me this morning before you woke up that you were able to remember some of the things that had happened. After seeing how close you got to him then, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before it happened."

"So, you're not angry or anything?" Harry asked, a surprised expression on his face.

"No," Ron replied, "but if that bloody ferret says or does anything evil to us again, he's as good as dead."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry muttered, smiling slightly. "For a while I thought that you would hex me on the spot or never speak to me again."

"Blimey, you really _are_ off your rocker," the redhead replied with a laugh. "One could never do that to their best mate." He then reached across the table and ruffled Harry's hair, causing it to look even more tousled than it already was.

"All right you two," Hermione cut in just as Harry was reaching for his inkwell, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's getting late and we should be getting off to bed."

"Yes, Mum," Ron mumbled, rolling his eyes. The remark instantly resulted in him receiving a shove that caused him to end up on the floor.

"Sorry about that," Hermione muttered, getting out of her seat so she could help him up. The three of them then proceeded to clean up their things, Harry looking down at his empty piece of parchment with a sigh.

"Well, I'm off," Hermione said a few minutes later as she attempted to stifle a yawn. "Good night, Harry." She smiled at him before turning toward Ron. The brunette then took a hesitant step forward and embraced the boy. "Good night, Ron," she said quietly before letting go and hurrying toward the stairs to the girls' dormitories, surprised at her own daring. Ron looked at Harry, his cheeks tinted slightly. He was wearing an expression that clearly read _what the bloody hell was that all about?_

"Let's go," the raven-haired boy said, chuckling lightly.

"I'm with you, mate," Ron replied as he yawned. The two of them then made their way upstairs to their dormitory.

After getting changed and climbing into bed, Harry let his mind wander. He couldn't help but to think of how close his two friends would become if they opened up to one another. There would be the problem of becoming a third wheel when both were around, and he didn't want that. The last thing he wanted was to feel left out when he was around his own friends.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a light snore from his left, a sound that could only mean that Ron was already asleep. The noise only grew louder as time progressed, mingling with the snores of his other dorm mates. The raven-haired boy sighed heavily before sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of his bed. He suddenly felt closed in, and the need to be able to think clearly somewhere open and quiet welled up inside of him.

With that thought in mind, Harry padded over to his trunk and opened it quietly. He reached for his wand, Invisibility cloak, and the Marauder's map before turning to set off down the stairs and through the empty common room.

"_Lumos_," Harry muttered once he was in the corridor. He pointed his wand at the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He opened the map, lines instantly beginning to spread over the aged parchment, forming the rooms and corridors that made up Hogwarts. The boy's eyes travelled the length of the map, looking for a decent place to go. Filch and Mrs. Norris were lurking down around the library, so that area was off limits.

After another moment or so of searching, Harry's gaze rested on the perfect place.

The Astronomy tower.

_It's just what I need_, Harry thought, a smile making its way onto his face. _It's open, and no one will be there. _

With his mind set, the Gryffindor threw the Invisibility cloak over himself and began to cautiously make his way down the corridor.

- - -

An invisible figure swept up the stairs of a large tower, their hopes high on finding a good place to think. At the top of the stairs was a large oak door, which had been left open a crack.

After opening the door soundlessly, the figure stepped inside. Their gaze swept over the airy room before coming to rest on the large, open window. Eyes widening in surprise, they peered more closely at the person sitting on the windowsill, silhouetted by the pale moonlight that was flowing into the room. The figure eyed the head of tousled midnight locks, a smirk finding its way onto their face. _That mop would be recognizable anywhere_.

"Thinking like me already, Potter?"

The person on the windowsill jumped, his head snapping in the direction where the disembodied voice came from. Emerald eyes narrowed behind glasses, searching the shadows for any hint of another person being there.

"Malfoy?"

"In the flesh," the voice replied. There was then the sound of moving fabric, and a figure materialized out of thin air. Draco tossed aside his Invisibility cloak before stepping toward where Harry was seated. He lowered himself to the stone floor and leaned back against the wall underneath the windowsill, his knees pulled up to his chest.

"What are you doing here?" the raven-haired boy muttered, the question slipping past his lips before he could stop it.

"Probably for the same reason you're here," Draco replied with a shrug. Harry merely raised an eyebrow, silently telling him to go on. The blonde heaved a sigh before adding, "I couldn't sleep and I wanted to go somewhere to think."

"Same here," Harry replied with a sigh. "It's weird, though. It used to be easy to nod off with all of my dorm mates snoring. Now it's just so damn annoying." The Gryffindor groaned loudly, placing his head in his hands. "Everything just seems so out of place now. It's so infuriating."

"No wonder you were set off so easily in the dungeons," Draco replied.

"Well, the insults were part of that, so it doesn't count," Harry snapped, glaring down at the blonde.

"No need to get snippy over it," Draco replied, holding his hands up in defense. "After six years of going at each other's throats, it begins to come off as a habit."

"Well, is it possible to lie off of them for a while?" the Gryffindor muttered. "They're not helping any." Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"What is up with you lately?" he asked, deciding to put the question that plagued his mind out in the open. "I mean, I know that you were pissed about the whole Charms incident, but it seems deeper than that."

"Why is it any of your business?" Harry asked, turning his troubled gaze to his hands. Draco merely shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. The Gryffindor sighed in defeat, the silence suddenly making him feel constricted. "It's just that having someone's death flash before your eyes over and over is so damn hard to deal with. It's like being there when it first happened. Every emotion just wells up in my chest all over again."

"That's understandable," Draco muttered after a moment of silence.

"You've never seen someone die, so what do you know?" Harry snapped, his eyes meeting the blonde's in a heated gaze.

"Did you forget the war that easily, Potter?" Draco muttered darkly. "Men died at my hand." He then paused, seeming very hesitant. "But the war wasn't my first introduction to death."

"Wait," Harry whispered, his eyes widening slightly. "So you mean that you --" His voice trailed off, but his eyes never left the other boy's face.

"With a father as a Death Eater, it's something that's hard to avoid," Draco replied quietly, averting his gaze. "There were times when he claimed that seeing another man die would make me stronger. The bastard never realized just how wrong he was. Just hearing the screams was enough to make me feel sick." Harry cringed slightly at the images that assaulted his mind, looking away as the blonde hung his head. Nothing could be worse than being forced to watch someone being brutally murdered. He couldn't even imagine how Draco must have felt during the war. "He never really thought about anyone's well-being."

"What -- what about the letter about your mother's death?" Harry asked tentatively, straining his memory. "Surely he had to portray some type of emotion." Draco snorted in disgust.

"It was all a lie," he replied, a dark shadow passing over his features. "He never truly cared. She was the only one that I was ever close to, and I think he knew it. That was probably the only reason why he made the letter sound somewhat sympathetic." Draco heaved a sigh, placing his head in his hands, the slender fingers tangling themselves in the platinum tresses.

"Ron and Hermione are the only ones I can go to for emotional support now," Harry replied quietly, his emerald gaze now set on the shimmering lake outside. "Everyone else is gone." His voice cracked slightly, overwhelming emotions welling up inside of him. "But now the two of them are growing closer, so it's only a matter of time before they're together and I'm left out in the cold."

"Looks like we're in the same boat, Potter," Draco muttered, raising his head to look up at the raven-haired boy. "We've both lost those close to us and had horrible childhoods. Seems like we've got more in common than we'd originally thought."

"As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with you there, Malfoy," Harry replied, heaving a sigh. "Just don't go thinking that I will come crawling to you when I need comforting." He then smirked down at Draco, who merely rolled his eyes.

"I can think whatever I want," he mumbled under his breath. Reaching behind himself, the blonde grabbed a fistful of Harry's shirt and pulled. The Gryffindor fell from the windowsill and hit the stone floor with a yelp. He sat up, rubbing his back, his face contorted in pain. His emerald eyes searched out Draco's amused face, and before the Slytherin knew it, he was pinned up against the wall.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Harry hissed, his eyes flashing. Draco merely raised an eyebrow at him, before leaning in closer to the other boy.

"Coming on to me, Potter?" he muttered quietly, a smirk playing on his lips. He quickly averted his eyes downwards before looking back up at Harry's face. The Gryffindor followed his gaze, and immediately choked on a gasp; he was straddling Draco's waist. How he got into that kind of position was beyond anyone's imagination.

"I -- I --" he spluttered, looking back up at the blonde, a pink tinge spreading over his cheeks. "I didn't mean to --" Harry made to push himself away, but Draco made a grab for his wrists.

"Where are you going?" he whispered, pulling the other boy closer. Harry yelped in surprise when his chest connected with Draco's. The blonde leaned forward, his breath feathering over the Gryffindor's bottom lip. Harry's eyes fluttered closed, and he leaned forward instinctively.

_Wait_ -- a voice whispered in the back of Harry's mind, breaking through his muddled thoughts. _What are you doing?_

"What am I doing?" Harry echoed quietly, his eyes snapping open as Draco's nose brushed against his own. The blonde's eyes opened slowly, revealing glazed silver irises. They then widened as if he had just realized what he had been doing. The Gryffindor shoved himself away from the other boy, a somewhat frightened look in his emerald eyes. He stumbled backwards, reaching for his Invisibility cloak, and hurriedly got to his feet. After opening the door, he cast one last confused look at Draco before slamming it behind him.

- - -

Harry arrived back at the Gryffindor common room moments later, his breathing labored and his head feeling light. The walk up to the boys' dormitory was a difficult one. However, the trip was worth it when he got into bed. To him, it never felt more comforting.

Once he was comfortable, Harry's mind was assaulted with many different thoughts. He was able to think somewhat more clearly now, due to the fact that his dorm mates' snores were drowned out by the pounding in his ears.

When he dwelled on it, Harry could easily blame his reaction in the Astronomy tower on his raging teenage hormones. But he couldn't get the nagging feeling in the back of his mind to go away. What really bothered him, however, was that it didn't bother him as much as it should have. The Gryffindor blamed that on the fact that he already bonded with Draco in some way while he was still affected by the spell.

Whichever way it was put, the same thought flitted through both boys' minds.

_I am so screwed_.

- - -

**Note:** The Polyjuice Potion is just an excuse to get Harry and Draco closer. It isn't really a major part in the plot. Hehe. Also, in the next chapter, there will be a jump in time, but only by a few weeks.

Well, there you go. I hope that it was good enough. Make sure to leave a review! You know I like them!

I also just noticed that it's almost been a year since I first started this story. Only two more weeks. Scary...

...TBC...


	14. Just Kiss Me, You Prat

Yes, yes, it has been a while again. I got around to it, so that's all that counts, right? Hope so. Thank you all so much for the great reviews. They've become my insiration.

**Note:** I played a little bit with some song lyrics in this chapter, so the credit goes to **Linkin Park**. Another thing; the memory that Harry remembers later on in this chapter is from the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, not the book. Just thought it would be okay to point that out.

**Second note:** The **SLASH**warning is now in affect. Not too much of it. Just read to find out. There is also a little OOCness again. Sorry!

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

_When he dwelled on it, Harry could easily blame his reaction in the Astronomy tower on his raging teenage hormones. But he couldn't get the nagging feeling in the back of his mind to go away. What really bothered him, however, was that it didn't bother him as much as it should have. The Gryffindor blamed that on the fact that he already bonded with Draco in some way while he was still affected by the spell._

_However it was put, the same thought flitted through both boys' minds._

I am so screwed.

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 14:** Just kiss me, you prat...

The next few weeks flew by in a blur. Before anyone realized it, summer had given way to autumn. The warm air turned crisp, yet comforting, and different coloured leaves were already skittering across the spacious grounds.

Along with the change of seasons came more work. The school year was just getting back into swing, and the older students were already beginning to feel the pressure. Just how much they were beginning to feel affected was evident in how much they wanted to sleep after a long night's work.

"Come _on_, Ron," Harry sighed, ripping the covers off of his friend. The redhead groaned in protest, mumbling incoherently in his sleep. "We have to get down to the Great Hall for breakfast right now if we want to get to Potions on time." Ron only rolled over on his stomach in reply. Rolling his eyes, Harry grabbed for the redhead's ankles. With a mischievous glint shining in his emerald depths, he began pulling. Ron began flailing and made a mad grab for the sheets, but the material slipped through his fingers and he ended up on the floor in a heap.

"You're evil," the redhead muttered, wincing slightly as he stood. "You know that, right?" He then yawned, stretching soundly before rummaging through his trunk for a clean change of clothes.

"Well, I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't waited until doing your Transfiguration _and_ Charms assignments the night before they were due," Harry retorted.

"It doesn't matter now anyway," Ron replied. "I finished them and that's all that counts. Hopefully at least _some _of the work is correct," he added in an undertone.

"Yes, but Hermione's going to give you a long lecture about being such a procrastinator," the raven-haired boy muttered. He chuckled quietly when the other boy's face paled slightly.

"She won't if she doesn't find out," Ron replied, his voice taking on some confidence. He narrowed his eyes at Harry as if daring him to go and tell the girl. That was when a thought struck the raven-haired boy.

_He wants to appear more responsible in her eyes_, he mused, a small yet somewhat strained smile making its way onto his face. _No wonder he didn't bother asking for her help_.

"All right, all right," Harry muttered aloud, chuckling quietly as he made his way for the door. "We'll be waiting for you in the common room. Make sure you hurry!" He then turned and opened the door before proceeding down the stairs.

"Where is he?" Hermione asked as soon as Harry entered the common room. She was standing in front of the fireplace, her hands on her hips and an exasperated expression on her face.

"He'll be down in a minute or so," he replied, rolling his eyes. "I literally had to pull him out of bed to wake him up."

"And it still pains me to think about it."

Harry and Hermione turned toward the source of the voice and saw Ron coming down the stairs. He attempted to stifle a yawn, and his fiery hair was still slightly ruffled.

"That was fast," Harry said, grinning sheepishly at the other boy, who pulled a face in response.

"Let's just hurry," Hermione muttered, shaking her head at the two boys' antics. "We have about fifteen minutes to eat and get down to the dungeons." Harry and Ron nodded, and the trio proceeded out of the common room and down to the Great Hall.

"I can't believe we have Potions first thing in the morning," Harry mumbled as they took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table and began eating. "It should be scheduled later in the day so we would be more awake when we take the potion. That way we would be more aware of what was going on."

"That's right," Ron replied, realization dawning on his face. "Today's the last day of the Polyjuice Potion assignment. I feel sorry for you, being that you have to turn into Malfoy and all," he added with a small smirk. Harry chuckled quietly, and his eyes automatically searched out the blonde Slytherin.

For a week or so after the occurrence in the Astronomy tower, Harry and Draco had avoided each other like the plague. However, they eventually had to speak to one another when the two of them returned to Potions. After a long self-debate, Draco hesitantly brought up the subject, and they both eventually agreed to try and forget the whole ordeal. However, no matter how hard they tried, they ended up doing the exact opposite, unbeknownst to the other.

"Wait," Ron muttered, his voice breaking through Harry's thoughts. "If you have to change into Malfoy, then I'll have to -- become a girl?" He cast a quick look in Hermione's direction, his eyes widening slightly.

"No, Ron," the brunette replied sarcastically. "I'll switch partners with someone else at the last minute and leave you with some burly guy in Slytherin. Honestly. What did you think was going to happen?"

"I -- I just didn't really realize it until now," the redhead replied, his face paling for the second time that morning. He averted his gaze down at the table, now unable to look directly at the girl. Though, unknown to him, she was feeling rather uncomfortable herself.

"Let's go," Hermione said a few moments later after they had finished up their meal. "We should hurry up and get down there or we'll be late." Harry and Ron nodded in agreement before getting to their feet and following her out of the Great Hall.

When the trio entered the classroom, they noticed that most of the class was already there and seated. Snape narrowed his eyes at them without a word as they took their seats.

"Today will mark the end of this dreadful assignment," the professor began. A few sighs of relief could be heard around the room. "Those of you that have not finished the draught correctly will sit to the side and take notes as the remainder of the students transform into their partner. Now, those of you that _had _listened and followed directions shall go and retrieve your potion. Just remember that the final ingredient needs to be added. A simple hair will do. Begin."

As soon as the order was given, the majority of the students jumped out of their seats and began setting to work. Harry and Draco went to the back of the room to get their cauldron.

"Okay," the Gryffindor began after they had set the object down and filled two glasses with the thick liquid. "All we need to add are the -- Ow!" He rubbed his head as he glared at Draco, who was smirking at him and holding a midnight-black strand of hair in his fingers. "You could have at least warned me!"

"Sorry, but the opportunity was too good to pass up," the other boy replied. Harry merely narrowed his eyes before his hand shot toward Draco's head. He grabbed a single strand of platinum blonde hair and tugged as hard as he could, receiving a hiss of pain from the Slytherin. "Potter..." he growled, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare.

"Oh, and I can't do it after you just did?" Harry questioned innocently as he and Draco put the strands of hair in their glasses.

"No," was the blunt reply. Draco watched the substance began to bubble and froth, a disgusted expression etched into his features. "Does he actually expect us to _drink _this stuff?"

"Suck it up, Malfoy," Harry replied, a smirk making its way onto his face. "It's probably not as bad as you think." _It's much worse_, he added as an afterthought, his stomach already beginning to churn.

"Right," the blonde replied, disbelief showing in his grey eyes. Heaving a sigh, he held up the glass. "Cheers," he muttered. Harry raised his in return, and they then proceeded to place them to their lips and down some of the liquid.

As soon as the potion was down their throats, pain instantly seized partial control of both boys' minds. Their insides twisted horribly, making them feel as if any minute now their breakfast would end up on the floor. A burning sensation spread from their stomachs to the rest of their bodies, and both began transforming. Then, as soon as it started, the process ended.

Harry pushed himself off of the desk, which he somehow became slumped over in the past few seconds. He groaned loudly, supporting himself on the desk with one hand and placing the other on his stomach. His eyes fluttered open slowly, and he immediately regretted it. The glasses that had once corrected Harry's horrible vision were now obstructing it.

As if reading his mind, a pair of somewhat clumsy hands reached toward his face and removed the offending objects. "Christ, Potter," Draco muttered as he put the glasses on. "You really _are _blind." Harry pointedly ignored the remark as he blinked several times to clear his vision. His gaze then fell on the hand that he still had on the desk. It certainly wasn't the one that he was used to. This one was much paler with long, elegant fingers. Harry pulled up the sleeve of his robes and discovered that the skin of his arm was just as pale.

"Malfoy, you _do _know that there _is _a thing called the _sun_, right?" the Gryffindor asked, now looking at the other boy with an incredulous expression on his face. He felt his heart skip a beat when Draco raised his head to look at him. It felt so strange to be standing in one place and looking to see your body in another. The Slytherin seemed to be feeling the same way because a strange look flitted through his temporarily emerald eyes before he smirked.

"Of course I do, you prat," Draco replied with a sigh. "It's just that pale skin is the indication of a high-classed pureblood. It just comes as being a natural trait." A grin then tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned forward. Harry instinctively took a step back, his eyes widening slightly. Draco seemed oblivious to the change of expression as he reached up to run a hand through the blonde tresses. Harry stiffened at the gesture, but it went unnoticed by the Slytherin. The other boy only crossed his arms over his chest, an approving look in his eyes. "So this is how others see me," he muttered with a grin. "Not bad."

"You're so egotistical," Harry huffed before turning on his heel and stalking to the back of the room where Ron and Hermione were located. His friends seemed to be holding up pretty well. Ron, or rather, Ron in Hermione's body, looked up as he arrived at their table. A suspicious look crossed over his face as he looked up at him. Harry immediately began chuckling at the expression.

"No need to worry," he replied as he pulled up a chair and sat down. "It's me."

"You can never be too sure," Ron muttered with a smile. He chuckled lightly, and then proceeded to run his hands along what was formally known as Hermione's stomach. "This is something I'll never get used to. Hopefully I never have to," he quickly added. "It's so strange being inside a girl's body."

"Stop that!" Hermione scolded, slapping at his hands before they could travel any higher. "Even though it's technically your body for right now, it's still awkward to see you doing that."

"Sorry," Ron replied, grinning sheepishly. His expression earned a laugh from Harry. "What's so funny?"

"It's not everyday you get see Hermione's face with a goofy grin plastered on it," he replied, earning a glare from said girl. Ron chuckled lightly.

"It's not everyday you get to see Draco Malfoy treating another person as an actual human being," he added. All three of them laughed at the comment.

"What's this I hear about me?"

Harry spun around in his chair at the voice. The sudden movement caused his chair to tip backwards and he ended up on the floor at the speaker's feet.

"Potter, if you give me so much as _one _bruise, I'll hex you and lock you in a broom closet," Draco muttered, looking down at Harry with his arms crossed over his chest. The Gryffindor merely rolled his eyes.

"Here, I'll make it even, then," he replied with a smirk. Reaching above him, he grabbed a handful of the Slytherin's robes and pulled. With a sound of protest escaping his lips, Draco fell forward. He became sprawled over Harry, knocking the wind out of both of them. The Slytherin propped himself on his elbows and looked down at Harry.

"Even though this is _your _body, Potter, _I_ still felt that," Draco muttered. Harry just grinned innocently at him. The Slytherin reached up to rub his neck before his gaze fell back on the other boy. An unrecognizable emotion flitted through his eyes. A pink tinge spread over Harry's cheeks when he realized that Draco was unconsciously leaning down toward him. Pretty much against his will, his eyes fluttered closed. The Gryffindor's breath hitched as Draco's nose brushed against his, the other boy's lips only a hairbreadth away...

"What is going on here?"

The stern voice of their professor broke through the two boys' muddled thoughts, snapping them back into reality. Harry and Draco scrambled to get to their feet, attempting to look as if nothing happened.

"Were you two fighting again?" Snape asked, looking from one to the other. Hermione, who was slightly red in the face, stood up to defend them. She realized, or at least thought she did, what was about to happen approximately a second before Snape came up to them, and it looked _nothing _like fighting. However, judging by everyone else's smirks, no one else noticed anything.

"No, sir," she muttered. "They weren't fighting. Harry tripped over his chair and tried to grab something to keep himself from falling. Malfoy was the closest to him, so they both ended up going down." The girl couldn't help but notice how lame that sounded. She just hoped that the professor would believe her.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Snape muttered with a sneer. "Or should I say Miss Granger?" He then turned toward Harry. "It seems as if you'll be the same clumsy Gryffindor as always, Potter," he added before stalking away toward his desk. Both boys sighed in relief before slumping down into a chair. Harry looked at Hermione with a grateful look in his eyes. She merely gave him a look that clearly said _we need to talk later_. A look of surprise briefly registered on his face before he masked it with a questioning expression.

However, before Harry could say anything to her, a wave of pain overcame him. With a groan, he leaned forward, grasping his writhing stomach. Beside him, Draco was going through a similar ordeal. When the pain subsided, they cast a quick glance at the other and noticed that they were no longer looking at themselves. Harry took his glasses when they were offered to him. With a look around the room, he noticed that everyone else was transforming back to their original forms as well.

When those who took the potion were back to normal, Snape cleared his throat to get the class' attention. "Now, the potion was only the first part of this assignment," he began. "The second part of this will be a twelve inch essay that you are to write." His statement was immediately followed by a groan from the class. Ignoring his students, the professor ploughed on. "It is to be on the properties of the ingredients required and what the Polyjuice Potion may be used for. Hopefully you remember our little discussion at the beginning of this assignment. Class dismissed," he added just as the bell rang. The students grabbed their things and filed out of the classroom, muttering quietly amongst themselves.

- - -

Later that day after dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at a table in the Gryffindor common room. After much persuasion from their bushy-haired friend, Harry and Ron began their Potions essays.

After several minutes, Harry had only gotten as far as the title and a few sentences of the first paragraph before his mind drifted. His gaze wandered toward the window, settling on the empty grounds below. The incident that occurred in Potions resurfaced in his mind, and a blush began spreading over his cheeks. The Gryffindor couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Snape hadn't interrupted Draco and himself. Would they really have --

"Harry?"

The voice of his female friend stopped the progression of Harry's thoughts. He shook his head quickly to clear it before turning to face Hermione, who was looking at him with a strange expression. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry replied, looking slightly embarrassed. He then noticed the absence of his redheaded friend. "Where's Ron?"

"He went to go check the notice board for the date of the next Hogsmeade weekend," she replied. "And since fall is here, you should be getting a move on. Tryouts should be scheduled, and, as the Gryffindor captain, you should really start getting the team together for practices soon."

"I know, I know," he muttered, slumping down in his seat. "Everything has just been so crazy lately that there hasn't been much time. Plus it's also going to be difficult replacing Katie. She was an excellent captain last year."

"True," Hermione agreed quietly. "McGonagall was so happy when we won the cup." A moment of silence then passed before she looked up at the boy. "Harry, I was wondering..." she began, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Is -- is there anything going on between you and Malfoy?" An incredulous expression registered in Harry's eyes, barely masking the embarrassment underneath.

"N--no," he replied with a shake of his head. "What makes you think that?"

"Harry, I was there in Potions, you know," Hermione replied quietly. "Others may not have noticed, but I'm pretty sure I know what was about to happen. You can tell me." Harry sighed when he saw the pleading look in her eyes, his head falling forward in defeat.

"Nothing is going on between us," the raven-haired boy replied. "I was telling the truth about that." He then paused, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The next part he said in almost a whisper. "That -- that wasn't the first time that had happened, either."

"What do you mean, 'that wasn't the first time?'" she question, her eyes narrowing slightly. A slight tinge of pink spread over her cheeks as a new thought occurred to her. "Have -- have you two kissed before?"

"No!" Harry hastily answered. Despite the fact that it was true, he still felt somewhat guilty. That was probably what compelled him to continue. "But it almost happened a few weeks ago in the Astronomy tower. I went there to think one night," he added when he saw Hermione's questioning expression. "Apparently Malfoy was thinking along the same lines because he went there that night as well. We just talked for a while, and then it came out of nowhere. I fled before anything could happen." Harry pointedly left out the fact that he was practically sitting on Draco when it occurred so he wouldn't embarrass himself any further.

"How did this come about?" the brunette questioned after a moment, her voice quiet and hesitant.

"I think that it has to do with us bonding in a way while I was under the effects of the spell," Harry replied, his voice just as quiet. Hermione nodded slowly before turning around to look in Ron's direction. The redhead was currently making his way back to their table.

"So, when is it?" Hermione asked as he took his seat, trying to appear as if everything is normal.

"This weekend, actually," Ron replied with a grin before turning toward Harry. "And this is kind of out of the blue, but do you have any strategies planned out for Quidditch practices yet, mate?"

"I have some ideas, but none that are fully planned just yet," Harry replied. "Don't worry, I'll be ready when we begin holding them," he added when the other boy's eyes widened slightly. After giving the redhead a small, assuring smile, the raven-haired boy's gaze wandered toward the window once more. The sun was dying on the horizon, bathing the grounds in a pale orange glow. The darkening sky was clear, beckoning for Harry.

"Look," he said after a moment, getting up from his seat. "I need some fresh air, so I'm going to go flying for a while."

"What if you miss curfew?" Hermione asked him.

"I'll take my Invisibility cloak as a precaution," Harry replied as he began putting his things away. Ron and Hermione shared a look as they watched him walk toward the stairs that led to the boys' dormitory.

"I'm worried about him, Ron," Hermione muttered quietly as soon as the raven-haired boy was out of earshot. "He seems happy enough, but it seems rather -- forced."

"I've noticed that, too," the redhead replied, placing a hand on hers as he spoke. "He went through so much this year, what with those nightmares and all, let alone his whole life. He doesn't need this."

"I know," she muttered quietly, turning her hand over and lacing her fingers with his. "I just hope that he isn't bottling everything inside. If that's the case, it would only be a matter of time before he breaks down completely."

- - -

The cool autumn breeze caressed Harry's face as he circled above the school ground on his Firebolt. The last rays of sunlight were fading beyond the Forbidden Forest, eerie shadows now playing over the grass.

The exhilarating feeling he got when flying was absent tonight, and it seemed as if something was holding him back from releasing his negative thoughts.

After a moment or two of doing a few loops and dives, Harry sighed in defeat and began descending. He touched down on the soft bank of the calm lake and set his broom on the ground. The raven-haired boy then proceeded to lean against the tree right by the edge of the water, the one that he, Ron, and Hermione usually sat under when it was nice outside. Another sigh escaped his lips as his gaze wandered, settling on the inky sky above him. The stars were just beginning to wink into existence. The sight of them alone caused something to stir inside of him. A memory resurfaced in his mind.

**Flashback**

"_You see Sirius talking to me there," Harry muttered quietly to Hermione as they stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest._

"_Mmmhmm," the girl replied, nodding._

"_He's asking me to come and live with him."_

"_That's great," Hermione said with a smile. _

"_When we free him, I'll never have to go back to the Dursleys," Harry replied. "It'll just be me and him. We could live in the country, someplace you could see the sky. I think he'll like that after all those years in Azkaban." _

_A contemplative look crossed over the boy's face as he thought about it. After all of those years being abused by his aunt, uncle, and cousin, he could leave them and finally have a real home to go to. He couldn't stop the happiness from rising in his heart as he thought about having someone that would bring him closer to having a real family figure in his life._

**End of flashback**

Harry remembered that night clearly. It took place in their third year and he and Hermione had used the Time-Turner. They were waiting for the right time to rescue Sirius from receiving the Dementor's Kiss. This memory had once made him happy, but now it only filled him with dread and a longing that would go unanswered.

"Sirius," Harry choked out, closing his eyes as he tried to get rid of the prickling feeling that he was suddenly feeling in them. The attempt was futile, however, and a few tears escaped from under his eyelids. He sobbed quietly, his body shaking under the waves of emotion that were washing over him. Harry couldn't help but notice just how unfair this all was. It seemed as if every time something good came into his life, it was only a matter of time before it was ripped out from under him.

As Harry was lost in thought, he didn't hear the sound of oncoming footsteps.

"Potter?"

The Gryffindor stiffened at the voice but didn't bother turning around. He already knew who it was. "Why is it that every time I try to get away from everyone else, you show up?" he muttered, his voice cracking slightly.

"It's because I've decided to become your stalker," Draco replied sarcastically as he walked around to stand in front of the other boy. Harry tried to turn away, but the blonde had already seen his face. "What's wrong?" he asked as he took on a more quiet tone.

"Nothing," the Gryffindor snapped as he angrily wiped the tears away.

"Why do you keep trying to hide things from everyone?" Draco muttered angrily.

"I'm not!" Harry exclaimed as he whirled on the Slytherin. "Why does everyone think that?"

"Because acting like this only causes others to question things," the other boy replied. "You wouldn't be this angry if you weren't trying to keep something from everyone else. Now, what is it?" He paused as he looked at Harry, his arms crossed over his chest. "Was it a memory?" he added tentatively. He received a slow yet somewhat reluctant nod from the Gryffindor.

"Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past, bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have," Harry muttered, his voice sounding constricted. "There are times when I think of letting go and never moving forward so there'd never _be_ a past. It would just be so much easier to run away from all of this," he added quietly as he looked away.

"You shouldn't run away from your problems," Draco replied. "It would only make things worse."

"Well, things can't get much worse than they are now!" Harry shouted, new tears now shining in his eyes. "If I could take all of the shame to the grave I would." His voice took on a strange edge. "I feel as if there are wounds from my past beneath my skin and they will not heal." The blonde watched, horrified, as the Gryffindor grew hysterical, clawing madly at his arms and drawing blood from the skin.

"Stop it!" Draco shouted when he regained his senses, grabbing Harry by the wrists. The Gryffindor's now exhausted body fell forward into the stunned blonde's arms. "Hurting yourself won't get you anywhere," he added quietly. "Look at me." Harry hesitated before raising his head to look at Draco. "Things will get better. You just have to allow them to." The other boy nodded numbly, his emerald gaze locked with smouldering grey.

After a moment of silence, Harry muttered something, but Draco didn't catch it. "Sorry?" he asked, looking down at the other boy.

"I'm sick of avoiding this," the Gryffindor said quietly. Draco was getting ready to ask him what he was talking about, but Harry placed a finger on his lips to keep him quiet. "Just kiss me, you prat..." he whispered. The blonde's eyes widened in surprise at the bluntness of the statement. He searched the other boy's emerald green eyes, but found only sorrow and another emotion, but it was too deep to be read.

After a moment's hesitation, Draco leaned down and captured Harry's lips in a quick kiss. The contact caused a shiver to run down both of their spines. He made to pull away, but it seemed as if Harry had other plans. His hands loosened their tight hold on Draco's robes, one snaking around to the back of the Slytherin's neck to bring him closer.

After their lips came together for the second time, all coherent thought was banished from their minds. Draco ran his tongue over the other's bottom lip, and without hesitation, Harry slowly parted his lips. The Slytherin hesitantly explored the unfamiliar territory, his tongue gently caressing the Gryffindor's. The sensation of their lips moving together sent waves of pleasure through both boys' bodies.

When breathing became an issue, they separated. Draco proceeded to leave a trail of feathery kisses down Harry's cheek, which were still wet from crying. Before he realized what he was doing, the blonde was using his tongue to get rid of the excess tears. Harry started slightly, but after a moment he melted against the other boy.

Draco felt the tension leave the Gryffindor's body as his lips grazed over the tanned skin, and that was when he suddenly understood the boy's strange request. This was something he needed, something to show that someone cared for him, and Draco was able to provide that.

After thoroughly showering Harry's skin with light kisses, the blonde's mouth latched itself to the sensitive skin just below his ear. A soft moan escaped the other boy's lips as Draco slowly licked the skin and blew on it gently, revelling in how it sent shivers through the Gryffindor's body.

Harry pulled back after a moment to look at Draco. His breath caught in his throat when his gaze rested on the boy. The moonlight cast a silver glow around the Slytherin's pale skin, his hair now a shimmering gold. The normally steel grey eyes shone silver. He now looked like some kind of celestial creature, one that seemed to be spun out of the moonlight itself.

Draco watched Harry as the stared at him, a faint hint of color appearing in the boy's cheeks. His emerald eyes had a slightly glazed look to them. The blonde thought that the Gryffindor was remembering something else from his past. He was just about to start consolling the boy when Harry grabbed him roughly by the neck of his robes and pulled him down, resulting in their lips crashing together rather painfully.

All of the feeling left Draco's body except for the sensation of Harry's lips on his and the warmth he felt emanating from other boy's fiery skin as the blonde traced patterns on the back of his neck. Harry whimpered quietly before pulling away and resting his forehead on the Slytherin's shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered quietly, his breath tickling Draco's ear and his arms snaking around the other boy, pulling him closer. They both became oblivious to everything around them except each other's close presence.

What the two boys didn't know, however, was that a pair of startled, clear blue eyes was watching their every move.

- - -

Make sure to leave a nice review. Thanks!

...TBC...


	15. Meetings

Yes, it has been a very, _very _long time since this has been updated. The computer has been down (not my fault! . ; ), and things have just been completely crazy. Now that everything's okay, there may be more time to work on this. Hopefully it won't take nine months to update this time.

Okay, enough rambling. Here you go.

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 15: **Meetings

Professor Dumbledore was standing by the window in his office that overlooked the school grounds. His gaze was settled on the two figures that were currently standing by the lake, now barely recognizable due to the advancing twilight.

Earlier that evening, the Headmaster saw Harry walk out of the castle, his Firebolt at hand. He mounted the broom once he was on the grounds and began circling high above. The professor could tell that the boy was troubled, just by the way he flew. His heart went out to the Gryffindor.

Not that much later, after Harry had landed by the lake, a second figure joined him, one that was recognizable even at this distance due to the luminescent blonde hair. It wasn't all that surprising when Harry got angry at the sight of the other boy, but it was disconcerting to see the sudden change in the raven-haired boy's mood mere moments later. It surprised the aged man to see Harry in such a wild state. However, what came next shocked him to no end.

When both students moved closer to one another with what looked like no intention of causing the other bodily harm, leaving barely any space between themselves, the Headmaster's eyes widened. As their heads drew closer to one another's he turned away, a small smile gracing his features.

His idea of having Harry reside with Draco while the spell was affecting him paid off. The plan was to get Draco to become more friendly with the other boy so that when Harry was back to normal, there would be less animosity and disturbances caused by the two. _It has certainly worked_, he thought, casting a brief glance out of the window before turning toward his desk_. Much better than I would have originally thought._

- - -

"You know, during all my time at Hogwarts, I don't remember seeing anyone actually swimming in the lake, even when it was extremely hot out," Harry muttered, his gaze set on the glassy black water. _Willingly, that is_, he added as an afterthought, thinking back to the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in their fourth year.

"Maybe they were afraid of being attacked by the giant squid?" Draco offered. His gaze fell on the Gryffindor, then slid toward the shimmering surface, a thought forming in his mind and a smirk falling into place.

"Would you like to be the first?" he asked, his voice taking on a feigned innocence.

"What?" the Gryffindor said blankly, his eyes set on the almost perfect reflection of himself that stared back from the water. The blonde's words didn't register until a moment later. "Wait a min--"

Harry was cut off, however, when a pair of hands came in contact with his back, the force being enough to throw him off balance. Limbs flailing, the Gryffindor fell forward and, with a startled yelp, broke the surface of the water.

"What the bloody hell was _that _for?" he shouted when he resurfaced, shooting a glare at the other boy, whose laughter was echoing across the darkened grounds.

"Y-you should have s-seen the look on your f-face!" Draco choked out. He bent forward, clutching at his now aching sides, making an attempt to stop laughing. However, in his moment of unawareness, something grabbed at the hem of his robes. With a forceful yank, Draco fell forward into the water with a strangled yell.

"What if I wasn't able to swim?" Harry asked as his laughter subsided. Draco looked at him with a piercing gaze that seemed less intimidating due to his drenched appearance.

"I suppose I would have let you drown, then," the blonde muttered. As a retort, he got a large amount of water splashed in his face.

"That was for being a bloody git," Harry said, a smirk that rivalled a Malfoy's on his face.

"Well, this is for being an insufferable prat," Draco growled, lunging forward and tackling the other boy. They both went under the water. Harry flailed in an attempt to dislodge Draco. He grabbed the blonde's shoulders and pushed himself up, his head breaking the surface. He only had a few seconds to take in air, however, before he felt two hands grabbing at his sides, taking fistfuls of robes. With a hard tug, he was back under. A great deal of splashing ensued as they both tried to get back above the water while keeping the other under.

"You know what?" Draco managed to say a moment later as they made their way onto the bank, their chests heaving. "We're acting like a couple of bloody children." The comment made Harry freeze for a moment, images of the past several weeks flashing through his mind. With a great shake of his head, they faded away.

"Well, we're all children at heart, aren't we?" he mumbled sarcastically, wringing his robes dry with unnecessary force. The blonde scoffed, then, suddenly realizing the underlying meaning in the other boy's words, turned it into a hasty cough. He made a mental note to not say the word 'child' around Harry for a while, unless he wanted to find himself facedown in the dirt with a bloody nose and a concussion.

"Look, we better get back before someone realizes that we're out here after hours," Draco muttered, peering into the shadows in case there was someone lurking nearby.

"Aren't you Head Boy, though?" Harry replied somewhat darkly. "Can't you get away with more than the average student?"

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that they will easily forgive me for shirking my duties for tonight," the blonde responded, now beginning to make his way back to the castle. Harry merely rolled his eyes and followed.

The two of them parted ways at the entrance to the dungeons with a muttered "'Night," and then they began making their way to their own dormitories. It wasn't until Harry, shivering slightly, was on the sixth floor that he suddenly began feeling horrified at the weakness he displayed that night. What if Draco, even though he played a part in it, used it as blackmail? Even though he hasn't been as much of a prat as before, that didn't make him any more predictable or understandable.

"_Intus Copulo_," the raven-haired boy spat, now on the seventh floor in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady swung forward with an affronted look that went unnoticed by Harry as he climbed through the hole. He was striding through the seemingly empty common room when he saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye, causing him to jump. Harry peered through the darkness, his heart racing, and noticed a figure on the couch.

Walking cautiously, Harry went around the couch and looked to see who it was. He relaxed when he saw Hermione sitting there, asleep. He then realized, with a pang of guilt, that she must have been waiting for him to return. Harry had half the heart to wake her up, but he didn't want to disturb her. Instead, he put her into a more comfortable position and covered her with a blanket that he grabbed from a nearby armchair.

As he stood up, Harry's gaze fell on the notice board that hung on the common room wall. He then remembered that he should be holding Quidditch tryouts.

With a sigh, the raven-haired boy grabbed for a piece of parchment, and, with a quill he found lying on a nearby table, wrote down tomorrow's date for tryouts. He knew that it was very short notice, but there were many students that looked at the board first thing in the morning. Harry posted it next to the notice that stated that there was a Hogsmeade day this weekend. If need be, he could always schedule another date for those that couldn't make it.

With the thought that the news would spread fairly quickly during the day, up until the tryouts themselves in the evening after dinner, he made his way up to the boys' dormitory.

Once in the dorm, Harry discarded his cold, wet clothes and quietly rummaged through his trunk for a warm pair of pajamas. He then fell into bed with an exhausted sigh and pulled the hangings of his four-poster closed.

If Harry ignored his thoughts and was more aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed that one set of snores was absent from the din usually created by his other dorm mates that night.

- - -

Harry awoke the next morning to bright sunlight shining through the gap in his hangings. With a small groan, he sat up and pulled them back, rubbing his eyes as they were more adjusted to the brightness. The raven-haired boy then felt for his glasses and put them on, his world sliding into focus.

With a glance around the dormitory, he saw that everyone was already up and gone, even Ron. He was surprised, as the redhead usually woke him up in the morning if he was up before him. He got dressed, telling himself that Ron was probably getting a shower before heading down to breakfast.

The common room was fairly empty by the time Harry came downstairs. He looked around, and saw that Ron and Hermione were seated by the fire and having what appeared to be a small argument. However, when he saw the raven-haired boy, Ron's eyes narrowed slightly. He said something to Hermione and got up, making his way toward the portrait hole. Harry made to call after him, but the other boy was already gone.

"What's up with him?" he asked Hermione as he took the seat that Ron vacated. "Did I do something wrong?" The girl sighed quietly, giving him an appraising look.

"He seems to think you have," she replied. "Harry, where were you last night?"

The question surprised him, seeing as how he wasn't expecting it. He never thought of a cover story that he could tell both of his friends. However, Harry had a sudden feeling that even if he did have one, Hermione would not believe the lie. The shrewd, calculating look on her face told him that.

"I was out flying, as you already know," he began slowly. She looked at him, the expression on her face plainly telling him to go on. Harry sighed resignedly. "Fine. At one point, Malfoy showed up. I flipped out on him, but then --" He stopped, unwilling to go on. However, his hesitance seemed to be all Hermione needed.

"Something happened," she finished for him, receiving a numb nod and a dumbstruck look from Harry. "Ron told me what happened, but I wouldn't believe him." The boy's eyes widened at this.

"But how did he --" Harry stopped, now at a loss for words.

"He claims to have seen you both by the lake when he looked out the window before going to bed," was his answer. Harry sighed.

"Why does this year have to be so complicated?" he thought out loud, his voice bitter. Hermione placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know," she answered. "Why don't you go talk to Ron? He's probably at breakfast right now, and we still have yet to get down there." The girl stood and offered a hand to help the other up. They then left the common room and made their way down to the entrance hall.

"Look," Hermione whispered when they were in the doorway of the Great Hall. "Here he comes." Ron was walking away from the Gryffindor table and heading toward their direction. Harry moved behind the open door of the Hall and out of the redhead's line of vision.

"What are you doing?" Hermione hissed.

"If he sees me, he's going to turn right around and go back to the table," Harry replied quietly. "I don't want to have to follow him and have the conversation in there." She nodded, and then moved to the side as Ron walked up.

"What's wrong?" the other boy asked, though a thin layer of suspicion was laced in his words. "How come you're just standing --" He was cut off, however, as a hand reached around the door and grabbed the sleeve of his robes. He protested and attempted to pull himself from Harry's grip as he was dragged toward an alcove by the stairs. Hermione stood in front of it, making sure that no one came close enough to overhear the conversation, as well as blocking Ron's escape route if he were to wrench himself from Harry's grip and make a break for it.

"Whatever you have to say, I don't want to --" the redhead began, but was cut off as Harry put a hand over his mouth, earning himself a glare.

"You have to hear me out," Harry hissed, his voice exasperated, yet a bit of anger at Ron's stubbornness could be detected. "Look, I'm sorry that I--" He suddenly stopped, unsure now of what he was sorry for. His mind was going in so many directions at once, so he held fast to the first thought he could.

Harry began speaking again, his face a bit red, and his words coming out in a rush. "I'm sorry I never mentioned my preference. I didn't know it at the time, but --" He stopped again, interrupted by a loud snort from Ron.

"You think that's what this is about?" the redhead muttered, shortly followed by a hollow laugh. "I don't care what gender you fancy. It's just --" He then sighed, shaking his head. "_Malfoy_, Harry? Why?" The question caught the raven-haired boy unawares. He didn't think this was what the other boy was angry about.

"Well, I -- I'm not --" Harry attempted, but just gave up and looked at Ron with a blank look on his face. Ron's eyebrows knitted together.

"His father was a _Death Eater_, Harry," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "He was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle." A look of comprehension dawned on Harry's face. He was beginning to understand where Ron was going with this. "What makes you think that Malfoy won't just stab you in the back and get revenge for You-Know-Who's demise, as well as his father's life sentence in Azkaban?"

"I --" The raven-haired boy hesitated. He swore that he would never mention this information to anyone, unless he wished to be mercilessly murdered by a certain blonde, but this was his best friend he was talking to. It had to be said. With a sigh, he began again. "Well, I know that Malfoy never fully supported Voldemort." Ron flinched very slightly at the long-hated name, but looked at Harry with a highly disbelieving look nonetheless. "It's true," he went on. "I said that I wouldn't tell anyone this, but the circumstances seem to call for it."

"Hurry up, Harry," Hermione called back to him. "We have to get going soon."

"Fine," the raven-haired boy muttered. "He helped me get through the battle ground during the war, making sure I was able to get to Voldemort. If he weren't there, I probably wouldn't have succeeded, and most likely wouldn't be standing here in front of you. Not only that, but he helped me _defeat _him, Ron. What about that?"

"You still don't know if he'll resort to his father's ways," Ron replied stubbornly. Harry threw his arms up in defeat.

"Okay, I give up," he mumbled. "If you don't want to listen to me, fine. I tried. I just don't think that will happen." Harry made to walk away, but Ron grabbed for his sleeve, holding him back.

"As much as I hate to say it," he said quietly, heaving a resigned sigh, "I believe you." Harry immediately relaxed. "It's just -- why does it have to be --" He stopped as the raven-haired boy shook his head.

"Not here," Harry said, looking around, noticing that students were now milling out of the Great Hall. "We better get going."

Just as they were leaving the alcove, Harry's stomach growled loudly. He cursed under his breath, having just realized that he missed breakfast. Laughing, Ron hurried through the crowd and back into the Great Hall, later emerging with a stack of toast at hand. He divided it and gave the other half to Hermione. Both muttered a thanks and they began making their way out of the entrance hall.

"So, what class do we have first?" Harry asked around a mouthful of toast.

"Transfiguration," Ron replied.

"Oh," the raven-haired boy muttered. "What are we doing today?"

"Harry, don't you ever pay attention?" Hermione chastised, rolling her eyes. "We're doing some human transfiguration. You know, going from a person to an animal and such. I hope you pay close attention this time; otherwise, we'll end up with a person going to the hospital wing with some kind of horrible body mutation." She looked pointedly at him and he nodded in response.

_This ought to be entertaining_, Harry thought with a mental sigh. He felt that, at the moment, this class was not one of his stronger points.

- - -

"You know, that didn't go as bad as it could have," Ron said optimistically to a downtrodden Harry as they left Professor McGonagall's classroom, holding both of his hands carefully in front of him. "You could have made a worse mispronunciation and something could have gone horribly wrong."

"Yes, but thanks to me, you have to be careful about what you're doing unless you want everything to stick to your hands," the raven-haired boy replied. He then turned to look at Hermione. "You _will _be able to figure out the counter curse, right?" He received a slight smile and a nod in reply.

"So," Ron muttered after a slightly awkward silence, "I heard that you were holding tryouts from other Gryffindors this morning at breakfast, Harry. Is that true?"

"Yes," came as the reply. "I know that it's very short notice, but I thought that they'd better be put underway before the Quidditch season starts. We don't want a totally inept set of players that can't play if their lives depended on it."

"Isn't that how your team _always _plays, Potter?" a voice drawled from right behind them. The trio whirled around and saw Draco Malfoy there, smirking. He was by himself for once. Ron immediately opened his mouth to retort, but Harry discreetly stepped on his foot, so he ended up just glaring at the blonde boy instead.

"What do you want?" Harry growled. Despite what happened the day before, the other boy's attitude still irked him.

"Can I talk to you?" Draco asked. A slightly uncomfortable look passed through his eyes, but he still managed to keep a cool expression on his face. "Alone?" he added, eyeing the other two in disgust. Harry looked at him for a moment before turning toward his friends. Hermione nodded slightly, though she was looking at the blonde with what appeared to be contempt. Ron, however, was thinking differently.

"We're his friends," he spat. "Whatever you have to say to him, you can say in front of us." He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and drew him back.

"No, Ron, it's okay," Harry muttered. "I'll be with you in a bit." He made to take a step forward but found that he couldn't go anywhere. "Erm...Ron?" He grabbed the redhead's wrist and tried to see if he could somehow lift the hand off, but to no avail. He was stuck.

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry. I forgot." He also attempted to yank his hand off. He placed his other hand on Harry's other shoulder so he could shift his weight and use more strength, but in turn he got that one stuck as well.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "Did you honestly have to go and do that?" The raven-haired boy hung his head. He could hear Draco snickering in front of him.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do right _now_, Hermione?" Ron said, turning to look at the brunette. She looked back at him with a helpless expression.

"I'm sorry, Ron," she replied quietly. "The book I need is in the common room." The redhead cursed under his breath.

"Well, we can't walk through the corridors like this!" Harry exclaimed.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw that Draco had moved to stand next him and Ron, facing them.

"As much as it would amuse me for you both to have to experience that, I know the counter curse," the blonde said. "Move apart as far as you can go." He gestured the movement with his hand and held his wand where Ron and Harry were joined.

"Wait!" the redhead exclaimed, making a useless attempt to move away. "How do I know that we can trust you?" Harry looked over his shoulder and quieted him with a look, though the sullen expression would not leave the other boy's freckled face.

"Move apart," Draco repeated, pointedly ignoring the remark, though he sent a glare in Ron's direction. He placed his wand tip on the redhead's right hand, which twitched slightly at the contact, and muttered the counter curse. Almost immediately, both Gryffindors sprang apart, Ron's hands no longer glued to Harry's shoulders. The redhead looked at his hands, and then tentatively put one on the wall of the corridor. When he saw that it didn't stick, he looked around at Draco and gave him a curt nod.

"_Now_ can I talk to you?" the Slytherin mumbled after Harry and Ron had straightened themselves out.

"I'll see you two in a bit," Harry said to Ron and Hermione. As soon as he turned back around, Draco grabbed him by the arm and led him away. They turned the corner and ended up in a deserted corridor that branched off of the main one.

"You didn't have to do that," Harry growled, yanking his arm out of Draco's grasp. He pulled up his sleeve and eyed his arm. When he saw the red mark forming, he looked up and glared at the other boy.

"Never mind that," Draco hissed. He glanced at his watch. "I have to make this quick." He then looked up at Harry, an odd expression on his face. "Look, do you think you could meet me the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade tomorrow at one o' clock?"

"Why do you want me to --" Harry began, but then cut himself off, his eyes widening. "Are you asking me on a _date_?" he asked under his breath, looking to make sure no one was around.

"No," Draco replied. "And yes," he added, looking slightly awkward. Color immediately began spreading over the Gryffindor's cheeks, yet he looked confused by the reply. "There's something that I need to talk to you about. Something important. Do you think you could be there?"

"Yeah, I'll make it," Harry replied, his voice shaking slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow." He then made to walk away, but was stopped when the other boy grabbed his sleeve. The Gryffindor was about to ask what he wanted when Draco leaned forward hesitantly and pressed a light kiss to his lips. He then looked Harry straight in the eyes, the corner of his mouth curved up slightly, before walking away.

The few moments that Harry stood there, his gaze fixed on the other's back until he was out of view, seemed just short of an eternity. Before he knew it, the bell that signalled the beginning of the next class was ringing along the corridor. Harry cursed under his breath, adjusted his bag, and took off running to his next class, his mind buzzing.

- - -

"No! You're supposed to keep after the Bludgers, not watch what the Chasers are doing!" Harry shouted. One of the people that were trying out for a Beater position was really starting to irk him. Instead of doing what he was supposed to, the boy was just sitting on his broom, leaving all the work to the other Beater.

_This is so much harder than I thought it would be_, Harry thought, his temper rising with each passing minute.

The tryouts have been going on for the past hour and a half. Harry saw some pretty decent flyers, and most seemed dedicated to the position they were going out for. He looked through the group of people that have already gone, looking to see which ones would be good choices for the team. His search, however, was interrupted by shrieks and yells from the Chasers. He turned in time to see them scatter in different directions due to an oncoming Bludger.

"Sorry!" the careless Beater called out. "I hit it at the wrong angle." Harry waved the apology away agitatedly and blew his whistle. Those that were in the air touched down, and everyone, including those sitting in the stands, came to gather around him.

"You all have been great today," he said to them, yet he knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. "Those that were exceptionally good will be called back for another trial. Don't feel left out if you don't make it this time. There's always next year. The list of those that will be coming back will be put up on the notice board in the common room within the next couple of days. You can all head back now."

Harry hung back as everyone else left to put the equipment and brooms back into the storage shed. His walk back to the castle was a meditative one.

Before he knew it, Harry was standing before the entrance to the tower. The moment he walked through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, Ron and Hermione were questioning him about the tryouts.

"To put it simply, they were a nightmare," Harry replied with a heavy sigh as he fell onto the couch. The other two laughed quietly.

"They were that bad, huh?" Ron asked, taking the seat next to him. "It wasn't as easy as you thought it would be, was it?"

"Far from it," Harry answered with a slight chuckle. "Well, it wasn't _all _bad. There were some pretty good players out there. It's just that some aren't great at working well with the rest, and others just didn't have their heart in what they were doing." He then stood up and stretched. "I wish that you would have tried out for the Keeper position again, Ron, but not being on the team this year was your choice. Anyway, I'm going to bed. I'm beat." He began walking toward the stairs that led up to the boys' dormitories, but stopped when Hermione called to him.

"Out of curiosity," she began, "what was it that Malfoy wanted to talk to you about earlier?" The question immediately brought a slight tinge of color to the raven-haired boy's cheeks.

"Oh, he wanted me to meet him in Hogsmeade tomorrow to talk about something," he replied hesitantly. "I don't know what it's about, so I can't answer that for you," he added when he saw that Hermione was going to question him further.

"Okay, Harry," she said with a slight smile. "Go ahead and get some sleep now. You look about ready to collapse." The boy laughed slightly and, after wishing them both a good night, disappeared up the stairs.

The silence in the dormitory was welcome to Harry. It soothed the pounding headache he had acquired during the Quidditch tryouts. After getting changed, he fell into bed with a relieved sigh. It wasn't until he was lying down that he realized just how exhausted he felt.

Just before nodding off, Harry briefly thought about the meeting he arranged with Draco tomorrow at the Three Broomsticks. For some unknown reason, he couldn't help thinking that it was also going to be one hell of a day.

- - -

There you have it. If it's not that great, sorry. I did the best I could, and that's what counts, right?

And just to put it out there, there's a new fic in the making. It may not be up for a while since it needs to be really planned out, but I'm already becoming obsessive over it. That's another reason why this chapter took so long. Ideas for it wouldn't stop coming.

Anyway, please leave a nice review! It would be greatly appreciated. 3

...TBC...


	16. Dead Ends

Okay, yes, it has been a long time again. There's no use in denying that. But hey! At least it hasn't been another nine months. Though I guess five isn't that much better.. I won't even bother with excuses, seeing as how laziness was the only factor.

Anyway, I'll stop the blabbing. I'd like to thank those of you that reviewed and stuck with this fic, even though the authoress wouldn't get off her lazy ass to type this up.

Now here's the next chapter.

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 16: **Dead Ends

_Just before nodding off, Harry briefly thought about the meeting he arranged with Draco tomorrow at the Three Broomsticks. For some unknown reason, he couldn't help thinking that it was also going to be one hell of a day._

- - -

"_I don't feel good."_

_Harry stood in front of Draco, gazing at him through spotted glasses and dripping hair that lie flat on his forehead. The blonde looked at him and took in his drenched appearance. The young Gryffindor's complexion was much paler than normal and his lips had taken on a bluish tint. Violent shivers racked his small body. The chilly air of the dungeons was not doing him any justice._

_Draco picked Harry up, after putting him in dry clothes, placed him on the bed, and proceeded to prop up some of the pillows so he was in a sitting position. The blonde then made his way over to the wardrobe, opened it, and took a vial of red potion from a shelf. Harry eyed it briefly before he sneezed. Draco sat on the edge of the bed and uncorked the vial._

"_This will help you feel better," he said as he helped Harry down some of the liquid. The small Gryffindor's eyes widened in surprise at the potency of it just as he coughed, a little bit of steam coming out of his ears. He then curled up under the blanket and yawned, causing Draco to do the same. The blonde lay down as well, staring up at the ceiling. As if acting upon instinct, Harry moved closer to him for warmth._

- - -

"Wake up, mate!"

Harry groaned as he entered consciousness and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head in an attempt to drown out Ron's voice. However, it was pulled away mere seconds later, and he was jabbed hard in the side.

"Ow! That hurt," Harry grumbled, finally sitting up. He pushed the sheets off of himself and threw his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing his eyes agitatedly. "Was it necessary to do that?"

"It was if you wanted to get up on time to get ready for your meeting in Hogsmeade," the other boy replied, and Harry was able to detect a bit of contempt in his voice; it was obvious that Ron would rather dance naked in the entrance hall in front of the whole student body than think about this so-called meeting and who it was with.

Harry glanced at his watch, which was placed on his nightstand. Some of the color drained from his face and any tiredness he was still feeling disappeared in a flash. He stood up quickly, swayed a bit due to the head rush, then stumbled toward his trunk, rummaged for some clean clothes, and hurried into the bathroom.

As he undressed, Harry reluctantly thought back to the dream he had just before being woken by Ron. He had thought that they would have stopped by now, seeing as how he hasn't had one in a while, but apparently he was wrong. It was still somewhat disconcerting to see Draco Malfoy as anything other than an arrogant jerk. However, now was not the time to be dwelling on this, though he knew it was important enough to be brought up later. There were other tasks at hand that needed to be dealt with first.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered as he turned on the water for a shower. "Why couldn't I have been woken up earlier?" _Then maybe I could have avoided that dream_, a voice said in the back of his mind. He quashed it, cursing under his breath, and slipped underneath the shower. A startled yelp was immediately heard.

In the dormitory, Ron laughed quietly, then called out, "Water too cold there, mate?" All he heard in response was a string of mumbled profanities, and then sudden silence.

"Why yes, dear _Ronald_," the raven-haired boy replied a moment later, knowing full well that Ron hated to be called by his full first name. "It is. And just _how _would you know that? That was one hell of a guess." Ron cringed, mentally banging his head against the bedpost, cursing his idiocy. He had given himself away.

Earlier that morning, while Harry was still sound asleep, the redhead went into the bathroom to take a shower. When he was finished, he had gotten an idea. He suddenly had the urge to play a joke on Harry. He was almost absolutely certain that the other boy would be getting a shower before going to Hogsmeade to meet...that person. Ron turned on all the hot water knobs in the showers, since he didn't know which one was to be used by Harry, and just let the water run until there was only cold water left. Everyone else was already gone, so Harry would be the last one to take a shower. The whole thing had worked at first, but now he got himself caught in a corner like a small mouse being hunted down by a hungry cat.

"It -- it was just a guess!" he answered a moment later in what he hoped was an innocent voice. However, what he heard next made his heart skip a beat.

Harry's footsteps echoed slightly in the silence of the bathroom. When they stopped, Ron could hear another shower being turned on. Harry then moved on and did the same with the next. This cycle continued until each of the five showers were tested. The water was then turned off. There was more silence for a couple moments, and then the footsteps could be heard coming toward the doorway.

"Well, isn't that just a coincidence?" Harry asked when he appeared, fully dressed. His voice was laced with obvious sarcasm. "It seems as if all of the hot water is gone. That would mean that five people would've had to take extremely hot showers at the same time in order for something like this to happen, but how is that possible when only four or less people took a shower this morning? And how any living person could stand the very high temperature is beyond me." A wicked smile then appeared on his face. Ron didn't like the looks of it at all.

Before the redhead could seek cover, a sodden towel landed on his head. He hurriedly took it off and threw it away from himself, but the damage was done. His hair was now soaking wet, and he could feel freezing cold rivulets running down his neck. He fell onto his bed with a groan just as another towel, dry this time, landed on it.

"Now we're even," Harry said, snickering quietly. He put on his shoes and began making his way toward the door. Just as he reached for the doorknob, he paused and looked back at Ron. "By the way, next time you try to do something like that, make sure you think over what to say before opening your mouth." He then stuck his tongue out, suddenly reminding Ron of the child he saw only a mere month or so ago. "See you down at breakfast," the raven-haired boy added before grabbing his cloak and a pouch of money, opening the door, and disappearing down the staircase, leaving Ron to fix himself up.

- - -

Breakfast was the usual affair. The only difference was that the younger students looked put out, casting sidelong glances at the older ones, jealous that they get to spend the day having fun in Hogsmeade while the rest of them are stuck at the castle.

As soon as he joined Harry and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, Ron began talking about what items he was going to be purchasing at Zonko's, as well as on whom and why he was going to use them. Harry told Hermione about the morning's events when she asked why the two of them didn't come down together. There was no questioning on Ron's behalf, for which the redhead seemed grateful as he still felt somewhat embarrassed about his momentary daftness.

Harry, however, wasn't listening to all that much of what Ron was saying. He pushed the food on his plate around in circles, not really able to eat much more of it; the butterflies fluttering around his stomach made sure of that. His gaze slid to the Slytherin table, a habit it acquired lately, first settling on Pansy Parkinson. She was seated a good distance from where she usually sat, which was on Draco's left. It was as if she could feel his eyes on her, because she lifted her head. Harry wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but it looked as if her pug-like features were set into a smug expression, as if she knew something he didn't. What it was, Harry had no idea, and that made him feel somewhat disconcerted. Still, he felt a strong surge of disdain for the girl every time he caught sight of her, since it was she that spread the truth about his condition.

Even though he wouldn't like to admit it, Harry couldn't help feeling that Draco slapping her was a bit rash. He believed that there could have been a better way for her to get what she deserved, and Hermione thought so as well when she told him that this had occurred. It was because of that girl that he avoided the eyes of most of the other students, knowing that they were still keeping the rumors about him and Draco going around. He wasn't all that surprised, though, to see Draco still keeping his mask straight and holding his head high. No matter what was said about him, he remained as indifferent as ever.

Sticking with this train of thought, Harry averted his gaze to the other end of the Slytherin table, coming to rest on the blonde. His mind then switched gears, and he remembered what was going to be happening that day. What is Draco's reason for wanting to talk to him so badly? Is it something very important that Harry needs to know? The Gryffindor couldn't help feeling that that was what it was. Still, something nagged at the back of his mind, telling hm that he was probably getting nervous and worried over nothing. Draco could have just told him that he needed to talk to him in order to ensure that Harry would meet him at the Three Broomsticks. Anger flared within him for a brief moment, but Harry fought against it. He told himself he wouldn't be sure of the reason until he got there.

It was then that Harry realized that his friends were looking at him with almost identical exasperated expression on their faces. He looked back at them sheepishly, noticing that they must have been trying to get his attention for the past few minutes, but to no avail. He hadn't realized that he was staring openly at the Slytherin table, acting as if nothing else around him existed.

"Sorry," Harry muttered, his eyes coming to rest on Hermione. "Were you trying to say something?" A small smile tugged at the corner of the girl's mouth, and she looked as if she was resisting the temptation to roll her eyes at him.

"Yes, actually, I was," Hermione replied. "I was saying that you might want to hurry up and finish eating. We will be able to leave for Hogsmeade in a few minutes, so we need to be ready to go."

"Well, I'm done," Harry said, pushing his almost full plate of food away from himself. "I can't take another bite."

"Are you nervous?" she questioned in an undertone.

The raven-haired boy raised an eyebrow, astounded at how well his female friend could read others. "Somewhat," he replied. "I don't remember feeling quite like this when I went with Cho in fifth year." A dark shadow passed over his face at the thought of the girl, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. Hermione reached across the table and patted him on the shoulder. Ron, however, looked faintly green. It seemed as if he still couldn't get over the fact that it was Draco that Harry was going to meet.

"Well, I don't think it will be that bad," Hermione said in a soothing tone. She didn't want Harry's mood to darken because of something that had taken place almost two years ago. The three of them stood up and put their cloaks on, then began making their way toward the entrance hall. There was already a queue of students standing by the large front doors, waiting to give Filch their name so they could leave.

As they stepped outside and went down the front steps, Harry thought back to what Hermione said about this not turning out to be as bad as the Cho incident. A feeling of uneasiness suddenly washed over him as a new thought came to mind.

_What if this turns out to be a lot worse?_

- - -

A chill, bitter wind bit at the students' faces as they made their way past the gates and along the road that would lead them into Hogsmeade. Even the heavy cloaks and scarves barely did a thing to help against the onslaught. There was little talk as everyone did his or her best to conserve their body heat.

When they turned a bend, the village came into view at long last. There were some lights lit in a few of the windows of the buildings, shining brilliantly in the gloom and looking warm and inviting in contrast to the dark, ominous sky. Ron grabbed hold of Harry and Hermione's wrists and made a beeline for Honeydukes, where a number of people were already headed.

Once the store's door was opened and they were inside, Harry was in heaven. The sweet scents of chocolate and many other varieties of candy made him feel lightheaded and somewhat giddy. The anxiousness he was experiencing was gone in a flash, replaced with a childish excitement that spread through his body at a rapid pace. All he wanted to do now was purchase as much candy as he could carry.

"Hey Harry!" Ron exclaimed, motioning for him to come over to the shelf he was standing in front of. "Over here! They came out with a new kind of candy!" Harry made his way through the throng of people and stood behind Ron, standing on tiptoe to look over his shoulder. The candy was lizard-shaped and came in many different colors.

"Do they have any special effects?" Harry asked curiously, looking around for a sign.

"No idea," the redhead replied, but he placed handfuls of them in a bag nonetheless.

"Well, for all you know, they may give you the ability to blend in to your surroundings," Harry said with a grin. "You know, like a chameleon." Ron paused for a moment and seemed to be considering this possibility.

"That would be wicked!" he exclaimed before proceeding to grab more. The raven-haired boy laughed and began looking around for something to buy.

"Ron still being his usual self?" Hermione asked him several moments later after he purchased the largest box of Honeydukes' best chocolate he could find.

"Of course," Harry replied with a smile. "What else is expected?" He turned to look at his other friend, who was still making his way around the store with a large bag of candy at hand. "He has got to have the largest sweet tooth known to man," he added with a small shake of his head.

"Yes, that's true," Hermione said. "But all that sugar and whatnot is probably going to catch up to him someday." Harry attempted to hold back a snicker but ended up failing when Hermione herself laughed.

"That's just evil, you know," he said, his face now straight. The only problem was that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't dispel the humorous image of an older, larger Ron waddling around with a sack of sweets from his head. "He can't help it. He's just...Ron."

"Well, yes, he is." Hermione's eyes followed the redhead as he walked around the store for a moment before snapping back to Harry. "Now, this may be a bit out of the blue, but maybe you should start heading to the Three Broomsticks. It's almost time for you to be there."

"Oh, right," Harry muttered. In truth, he had almost forgotten about the meeting. The unease that had blissfully gone away earlier now came back full force. What he was feeling must have shown on his face because Hermione placed a hand on his arm as a reassuring gesture.

"Everything will go well, Harry," she said quietly. "Noting could be worse than the Cho fiasco, right?" She gave him an encouraging smile, ignoring his small wince at the reminder of fifth year, and began pushing him. He blinked in surprise, wondering why she was doing that, and then realized that he had still been standing at the counter, holding up the line. Harry smiled apologetically at the other people and allowed Hermione to guide him to the door. "Ron and I will be there in a while to get drinks. But don't worry. We won't bother you." She grinned at him and nudged him toward the exit. "Good luck." He nodded his thanks and made his way outside.

In a way Harry was glad the wind was so cold. It helped him take his mind off of what was coming, if only for a moment. He wasn't sure if this would be a repeat of the Valentine's Day nightmare from two years previous or maybe something a bit better. He definitely knew which one he was hoping for.

When he walked into the Three Broomsticks, Harry was greeted by warm air and the sound of light laughter and chatter. He stood in the doorway for a moment, glancing around quickly. Almost immediately he spotted the platinum blonde head, which shone more brightly than usual in the light cast from the lit fireplace next to the table, in the back. His feet, seeming somewhat reluctant, took him in that direction.

"Potter," Draco muttered as Harry sat opposite him. The other boy nodded a somewhat stiff greeting and proceeded to look around the pub. It was then that he noticed that a little less than half of the customers there were Hogwarts students, and a good number of them had their eyes trained on him. Some of the students looked disbelieving, like they thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. Others began whispering to their friends. No doubt crossed Harry's mind about their discussions involving the rumors that have been going around. He scowled darkly and turned back to look at Draco, pointedly ignoring the quiet wolf whistle from Seamus' table and the few sniggers that followed.

"I have to tell you something before you begin," he muttered. His voice was quiet, but one could easily tell he was just barely concealing the bitterness he was feeling. "I had another dream last night, one that involved more memories from when I was under the influence of _Decreso Aetas_. I have but one question to ask; do you have any idea how much longer this is going to go on?"

Draco wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he thought Harry's voice became somewhat pleading toward the end. This question must have been eating at him for some time, but he never voiced it before now.

"Isn't this something you should be asking Granger?" he asked. "Surely she could find some kind of answer to that." Draco waited but never got a response. Harry just sat there, his steely gaze never leaving the other boy's face. The blonde heaved an agitated sigh. "Fine. To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I'm just guessing these dreams will continue until you remember almost everything that occurred during that period of time. Who knows how long that may take, though?"

"That's just the problem," Harry whispered fiercely, his voice strained. "I want them to stop _now_."

"Do you really find them that bothersome?"

"Yes," the Gryffindor replied immediately, but then he paused. "Well, not exactly bothersome. Just strange." Draco raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Wouldn't you think seeing your rival as anything but his usual arrogant self odd?"

"But haven't you seen me be something other than arrogant, as you so kindly put it, besides in your dreams?"

That got him. Harry froze momentarily, his cheeks colored lightly. When he gathered his wits, a look of resignation crossed his face. This was just a dead end he has come to face. It was obvious that, for the time being it seemed, he couldn't escape this strange reality. He would just have to allow it to run its course.

After what appeared to be a nod of reassurance for himself, Harry looked back at Draco once more. "Now that problem's somewhat straightened out, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"You sure do get right to the point, don't you?" Draco asked. He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly wishing he could stall for time. But if he did that, he knew he'd have to face the wrath of an already ill-humored Harry Potter, and he was in no mood for that. Though maybe it would be something he would rather deal with than having to say what he was going to. However, the look in the other boy's eyes told him otherwise. The blonde figured that this would be a good time as any to begin.

"Well, I might as well tell it straightforward," Draco said. "Sometimes, when I'm in the mood, I go to the Slytherin common room to talk with some of the other students. Well, I was there several days ago, and I overheard a small group of them discussing something I most certainly wasn't meant to." He then paused, casting a quick glance around the pub to make sure no one was paying any attention to them.

"Who were they?" Harry questioned, his interest now piqued. He still nurtured that biased attitude toward most of the Slytherins. The thought that had immediately sprang to his mind was that if it was a group of them conferring in private, they couldn't be up to anything good.

"Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini," the blonde replied, his eyes now back on Harry. The raven-haired boy nodded, almost sure now that his suspicion was correct. If Parkinson was caught up in something, most likely it wasn't enjoyable. He didn't know all that much about the other two. Just that they were both in his year.

"What did they say?" Harry was now unable to hide his curiosity. Draco sighed heavily.

"At first I thought they were just talking about a get-together here in Hogsmeade, because they were confirming a time and place to meet up. But then I began feeling suspicious. If that's all they were planning, why not involve any of the other Slytherins? I was just about to turn away when Pansy asked Zabini a question that caught my interest. She asked him if he talked someone and told them when they were going to meet them in Hogsmeade." The blonde paused for a moment to take a sip from one of the two bottles of butterbeer that Harry didn't notice earlier. The Gryffindor reached for the other one but didn't drink any of it yet. "I didn't hear much after that because they lowered their voices even more. However, I did catch a few more words and phrases, and I'm glad I did."

"What were they?" Harry asked after a moment of silence. He was beginning to feel agitated. The other's hesitance was becoming irksome.

"They said something about 'the savior,' and I caught bits like 'a surprise he'll never forget,' and 'just what he deserves.'" Draco paused, looking at the other boy somewhat warily. However, Harry just gazed at him quizzically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned before taking a sip of his drink. Draco's eyes widened.

"Potter, how naïve can you get?" he hissed. "They're planning to attack you!"

This outburst was immediately followed by spluttering and coughing from Harry as he choked on his butterbeer. As soon as he pulled himself together, he opened his mouth to retort, but he was stopped.

"Just put the pieces together," Draco said. Harry closed his mouth and sat back in his seat. Draco couldn't be correct, could he? However, after thinking about it, something fell into place, and Harry saw that he had to be. It was the only plausible answer. But still, how would they carry it out without being seen? Just as Harry was ready to voice this question, a diversion appeared in the form of a tall, lanky figure with brilliant red hair.

"Harry, you'll never guess what Hermione found," Ron said excitedly, pulling at Harry's sleeve. "You have to come see it! Come on!" Harry glanced Ron, then at Draco, and back again. He looked slightly torn between going with the redhead and staying behind to finish the conversation. But the problem was that Draco wasn't even looking at him, so Harry couldn't get his answer from him. The blonde was instead eyeing Ron with a calculating expression on his face. The redhead didn't even seem to notice that Draco was there, which in itself was odd, seeing as how he was usually the one to instigate a fight between them. Then, upon closer inspection, Draco noticed that there was something different about Ron. There was an odd, vacant look in his eyes, which his smile didn't quite reach. It almost looked as if he was...

"Potter, no!" he hissed. He hurriedly reached to grab Harry's sleeve as he made to get up and follow the redhead. "Don't listen to him! He's being controlled!" Harry stopped long enough to look back at Draco, an strange expression on his face.

"How can you tell?" he asked quietly, though his voice sounded skeptical.

"Look at who my father is," Draco muttered. "He taught me a lot about the Unforgivables. It's times like this that I'm kind of glad that he did, but not much. I can easily recognize the symptoms associated with the Imperius Curse, and Weasley possesses all of them. The blank stare, the almost mechanical movement of the body, and so on." Harry looked at him for a moment longer before turning toward Ron. His eyes then widened as he fully took in the redhead's appearance.

"I'll take care of the problem," he said, getting to his feet. The other boy made to get up, but Harry stopped him. "Stay here. The last thing you need is to be caught up in this as well. This is probably the first stage of their plan." He then tailed Ron through the crowd and out the door. Draco vehemently cursed Harry's daftness under his breath, waited a moment, and then went in pursuit.

Outside, the main road was beginning to empty out. Harry understood why a little later when a loud clap of thunder sounded overhead. A steady rain then began to fall. The Gryffindor weaved his way around the last groups of stragglers while doing his best to keep his best friend in sight. This task was becoming more difficult to do, however, due to his now rain-spotted glasses. However, he didn't have the time to stop and put the Impervius charm on them. He would just have to deal with it.

Up ahead, Harry saw Ron turn into a side alley. It was at that particular moment that his nerves caught up with him. He stood just beyond the entrance, knowing full well that he should not set foot there. This was definitely a trap. Most of the alley was concealed in shadow, so no one would see what was going on unless they were directly in front of the opening. But no one else was really around due to the weather. Still, this had to be done. He would have to face these people by himself and get them to release his friend from the clutches of the Imperius curse. But then what? He didn't want to think about it.

Step by step, Harry cautiously made his way down the alley. He kept his eyes and ears wide open for any sudden movement or sounds. He would have to be on his toes if he wanted to come out of this unscathed.

When his eyes adjusted to the semidarkness, Harry was able to see Ron standing by a tall fence, which seemed to mark the end of the alley, therefore making it a dead end. That would only give him only one way to escape if he were to be attacked, and that would be through the defenses of his attackers. That most likely would not be an easy feat. Still, being ambushed didn't seem likely at the moment; surely he would have noticed something by now.

As he moved ever closer, Harry could now distinguish something at Ron's feet. He didn't know what it was until he caught a glimpse of bushy brown hair.

After casting a quick glance around to make sure no one else was around, Harry hurried over as quietly as he could. "Hermione," he muttered quietly as he knelt down on the wet ground beside her. It didn't look as if she fell to any real harm, but he reached for her wrist and felt for her pulse all the same. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he found that it was steady. Next to him, Ron slumped down onto the dirt with a groan. Harry then turned to make sure he was okay, but he kept a good distance between them in case the redhead's mind was still not entirely his own.

"Well, well, well," a soft, unfamiliar voice suddenly said from somewhere behind him. "If it isn't the young savior of the Wizarding world."

Harry jumped, not having heard any footsteps coming. Before he could turn around to defend himself, something solid came in contact with the back of his head. Stars sprang up before his eyes, and then everything went dark.

- - -

Well, there it is. Apologies if it's not up to the usual standards. My mind is just.. blah at the moment. I tried, though, and feel somewhat accomplished since I at least got it up. At twenty after four in the morning, nonetheless.. By the way, sorry about the cliffy. Most of the next chapter is already planned out, so it shouldn't take too long to update. Hopefully.

Please make sure to leave a review! Thanks!

...TBC...


	17. Completion

I am so sorry for the long wait. I had so much trouble figuring out how I wanted this chapter to end. Seeing as how this is the last one, I wanted it to be just right. If it isn't to your liking, however, I apologize with all my heart and soul.

And now I'll stop rambling. Here you go.

**Disclaimer:** There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

Decreso Aetas

**Chapter 17: **Completion

Pain. That was the first thing that registered in Harry's mind as he slowly came to a state of awareness. With each pulse of blood through his veins, the back of his head and neck throbbed with an unbearable intensity. As much as he would have liked to, Harry couldn't find the strength to bite back the whimper that ended up escaping his lips.

"Harry?"

That voice. It sounded so distant, but it had a familiarity to it. He strained to remember whom it belonged to, tried to associate a face with it, but his befuddled mind would not cooperate. Harry opened his eyes somewhat to see who was speaking to him, but he immediately regretted it. The bright light assaulted his eyes, causing his head to ache with an even greater vengeance. When he was able to compose himself, he gave it another try. It took a moment or two for his vision to focus. When it did, a gasp left him.

The environment Harry was currently in was not recognizable at all to him. There were trees everywhere, dull sunlight shining through their bare branches. The first thought that crossed his mind was _Where am I_, quickly followed by _why am I here?_

As he was contemplating these questions, Harry heard his name again, this time more distinctly and closer at hand. His gaze wandered around slowly, looking for the source of the voice. When his eyes fell on a large tree to his right, his heart almost stopped, and then it began beating at a fast, erratic pace. Bound to the tree at its base were Ron and Hermione. It was obviously Hermione who had called out to him; Ron appeared to be asleep, or unconscious.

Intent on going to help his friends, Harry made to get up, only to find that he was not able to do so. Looking down, he saw thick ropes that were holding him against the tree he was propped up against. _What the hell is going on?_

Harry opened his mouth to ask Hermione that question, but he found that his voice wouldn't work properly. However, Hermione seemed to be able to read his extremely troubled and confused expression.

"You mean you don't remember what happened?" she asked. Harry wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but she seemed to be on the verge of tears. Harry numbly shook his head, feeling as confused as ever.

"Well, that's not very surprising, what with the head injury you received."

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of a quiet voice that was extremely close by. He looked cautiously to his left, only to meet the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy, who was tied to the same tree he was. Harry immediately felt lightheaded again. His mind was not able to comprehend what was going on. He realized he was shaking horribly due to a mixture of the biting cold of the autumn afternoon and nerves. However, the words "head injury" stood out in his mind. With cautious fingers, Harry reached behind his head, afraid of what he might find there. He felt a peculiar, uneven lump that spread from the back of his head to his neck. He pressed down on it gently, immediately hissing in pain. Spots danced before his eyes as he looked down at his fingers, only to see them thinly coated in blood.

"Think back, Potter," Draco whispered, glancing briefly at Harry's fingers before eyeing the Gryffindor intently. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Harry strained his mind, trying to think back to before he woke up. A piercing headache immediately formed just above his now-closed eyes. He could picture fragments such as walking down a road with other Hogwarts students, fighting against a frigid wind. He recalled purchasing candy; he had obviously been in Hogsmeade, in Honeydukes to be more precise. Then he was at the Three Broomsticks. But what was he doing there? In his mind's eye, he saw a flash of platinum blonde hair. _Malfoy_. That was when everything began coming back to him.

Malfoy...the Slytherins...a plot...Ron under the Imperius curse...a dark alley...Hermione unconscious...an unfamiliar voice...immense pain...darkness.

_Oh God_... Harry, whose eyes sprang open at the revelation, vehemently cursed his stupidity and unintentionally banged his head against the tree behind him. That only resulted in his vision blurring heavily and the pain returning tenfold. A strangled yell freed itself from his throat. A hand immediately clapped over his mouth.

"Will you be quiet?" Draco hissed, his eyes daring around frantically. Harry merely slumped down in his bindings in response, his eyes unfocused.

Just as Draco removed his hand from his mouth, ready to shake Harry's shoulder to see if the boy was still conscious, a loud crack rent the air. The blonde jumped violently, sending the Gryffindor's glasses through the air in the process. The spectacles landed at a pair of feet that had materialized out of thin air mere seconds before. The hooded figure that had just Apparated into their midst bent down to retrieve them. The glasses were held with disgust, as if they could easily contaminate the one touching them with a deadly disease. The feet then began moving toward the two trees the four of them were bound to at a slow, leisurely pace.

"Well, well, well," a voice sounded from under the hood. The person was obviously female, even though the voice was harsh and raspy. "Our young Savior is finally awake." She had most likely heard Harry's yell from wherever she was. A cold laugh emanated from the figure, chilling them to the bone. Draco realized, with horror, that the voice sounded strangely familiar.

"I've wished to talk to you face-to-face for some time now." The woman pulled back her hood, revealing a dark-skinned, beautiful face. Draco nearly choked on a gasp. It was Blaise Zabini's mother.

Draco remembered seeing this face on a few occasions. She was invited over to the manor for tea from time to time when he was a child. That was how he met Blaise. She would bring him over so Draco would have someone to associate with while she and Narcissa talked. He had always thought her to be a somewhat pleasant woman, despite the fact that she and her family was extremely supportive of the Dark Lord. His opinion of her was entirely different now, however, as he took in her sickeningly sweet attitude.

"Your defeat of the Dark Lord has been a rather mysterious subject among my acquaintances and I, one that left us with many questions." She knelt down in front of Harry, an almost manic look replacing the feigned sweetness on her face. She no longer looked remotely beautiful. "How was it that a pathetic whelp such as yourself managed to bring down the most powerful wizard of the age?" she all but spat as she none too gently placed the glasses back on his face. A finger then came up and pressed itself against his scar. Harry recoiled, his eyes flashing dangerously. Even though his scar no longer hurt, it was still sensitive, and having an enemy such as this woman dare to touch it brought his blood to its boiling point.

"Don't touch me," Harry hissed in a somewhat slurred voice as he jerked his head back. A flicker of pain went across his face at the movement, but it went by so fast it was difficult to notice. He glared at the woman with a heated, steady gaze.

"Defiance will get you nowhere, Potter," the woman snarled, bringing her wand out and aiming it at him.

"It seems to have worked for me so far," Harry muttered. His gaze briefly settled on the wand before meeting those dark, cold eyes once more. Draco wanted to strangle him. Why wouldn't he just keep his mouth shut? They didn't know what this woman was capable of, and he wasn't very intent on finding out.

"I have a feeling that that's about to end," she hissed. The woman brought her wand down in a slashing motion, and the ropes fell away from the two boys, cleanly cut. Draco couldn't help but imagine that being done to human flesh. He soon felt lightheaded. He watched as Harry slowly got to his feet, swaying a bit, his emerald eyes fixed on the person before him.

"What do you think you are doing?" Draco hissed, remaining on the ground. Harry ignored him. The woman, however, shifted her gaze from Harry to him. A feral smile appeared on her face.

"You may want to keep out of this, young Malfoy," she muttered. "You'll have the chance to have your say when I'm finished with Mister Potter here, you filthy blood traitor." Despite Draco wanting to keep a calm, collected mask, his eyes widened ever so slightly. The woman gave a derisive snort. "What, you didn't think I knew about you helping defeat the Dark Lord? Don't make me laugh. Surely you realized that there would be eyewitnesses, other Death Eaters that managed to escape death and torture. And those that weren't there to see it were later informed, of course. Yes, even your dear old father." Draco merely looked at her after this revelation, attempting a haughty expression, though he felt a small twinge of fear.

"He must have known you better than you thought, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here right now. His plan had worked. Do you remember the letter he sent you earlier this year? Well, it was all a lie. I placed your mother under the Imperius Curse to prevent her from writing to you. Your father figured that if you and Potter had something in common, such as the loss of a loved one, then you would bond. He felt that if you became friends, and Potter was in danger, then you would follow to help him. So he came up with this plan to get back at you for what you did. At first he wasn't sure if it would work. But obviously it has. And now here you are, ready to receive what you deserve for turning your back on us."

"But oh, I can just imagine the mutterings that went on in Azkaban before all this, though..." she continued, now twirling her wand between her fingers. "The only Malfoy heir, reared by one of the most dedicated followers of the Dark Lord, turned traitor. But don't worry, you'll get your comeuppance soon enough."

"Now, Mister Potter," she said as she turned to face the Gryffindor. Draco saw the other boy tense out of the corner of his eye, his wand at the ready. "_Crucio!_" she exclaimed with a flourish of her own wand. But Harry was prepared.

"_Protego!_" The curse deflected off of the shield and collided with a nearby tree, sending splintered bark flying through the air. "_Expelliarmus!_" Harry then attempted, but the woman blocked the jet of red light with her own Shield Charm.

"Nice try, Potter, but you're not fast enough," she said. "_Diffindo!_"

Harry wasn't able to react quickly enough this time. The spell hit him in the face. Immense pain came as a result, and he could feel blood dripping down his cheeks. The woman took advantage of his momentary distraction and trained her wand on him again. "_Imperio!_" The curse hit his chest directly, wiping his thoughts clear instantly. Then a voice sounded in the back of his mind, barely audible, as if being heard from a great distance. _Hex your friends until they beg for mercy_..._attack Malfoy_...

Harry felt his arm move, as if to raise his wand, but he was able to stop it as his strength of will increased and he managed to throw off the curse. He focused his eyes and set them on the lady before him. She had a dark expression on her face.

"So it is true. You _can_ throw off the Imperius Curse. I have heard the rumors, but I didn't believe them. But now..." She sneered. "Maybe you aren't as useless and pathetic as we all thought. But you are still too meddlesome and annoying for your own good." She twirled her wand between her thin fingers. "I wonder if I would receive some kind of compensation for finally ridding the world of Harry Potter." The woman leered at him, her dark eyes glazing over somewhat. "Darkness would be able to rise again, this time unhindered by any obstacles." The wand was trained on the Gryffindor once again. "I'm done playing with you, Potter. I hope you've already made your death wish."

In the split second before she opened her mouth to enunciate the curse, Harry cast a sidelong glance at Draco, who was looking in his direction. An understanding seemed to wash over the both of them as they realized what the other must have been thinking. Surreptitiously, two wands were raised.

"_Avada _--"

"_Decreso Aetas!_"

Two spells issued from the two wands and collided in midair, just like on the battlefield. With a bang and a cloud of smoke, they met their target. The effect, unlike with Harry, was instantaneous. A wailing began behind the smoke, and as it cleared, a mound of wiggling robes was revealed. Harry walked over and shifted some of the folds aside and found himself looking at the scrunched up, tear-stained face of an infant.

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Harry jumped slightly at the sudden voice. He peered around and looked at Hermione. The girl, though still tied up, was shaking uncontrollably. "I should have tried to distract her. But I wasn't thinking straight. I was just so..." Her voice broke somewhat. "If you and Malfoy hadn't reacted so fast, you -- you..." She shook her head violently, tears now streaming down her face. "I feel so useless."

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said quietly, kneeling down in front of her to free her and Ron from their bonds. "You would have just put yourself in danger if you tried doing that. Besides," he added with a crooked smile, "I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself. But I greatly appreciate the concern. And you're far from useless." He enveloped her in a brief hug before turning his attention to the unconscious boy next to her. He raised his wand and muttered, "_Ennervate_." Blue eyes flickered open and focused on the face swimming in front of them.

"Harry?" Ron mumbled in a raspy voice, looking a little dazed. "What happened to your face?" Harry reached up and gingerly touched the wound; he had completely forgotten about it for a bit. "And where are we?" The redhead glanced around him, his eyebrows knit in confusion.

"Don't worry, Ron," Harry replied. "You'll find out soon enough." He then looked back at his other friend, who was rubbing at her wet cheeks. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Hermione, do you remember how you and Ron came to be attacked?"

"I'm pretty sure we were just walking down the road toward The Three Broomsticks," she replied quietly, glancing down at her hands. "I vaguely remember hearing a voice say the Stunning incantation before blacking out. Ron must have been placed under the Imperius Curse and sent to get you right after that."

Harry merely nodded at this. He wasn't sure what to say; all he knew was that he wanted them all to get back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. "Okay. Do you think you are able to Apparate yourself and Ron back to Hogsmeade? Madam Pomfrey will be able to check you two to see if there was any other damage done." She met his eyes and nodded. "Good. I'm going to take the baby and go with Malfoy. We need to go see Dumbledore." She nodded again and got to her feet, then bent down to help Ron up.

"See you soon," Hermione said before grasping the redhead's arm; the two of them disappeared with a faint _pop_.

Harry glanced at the spot where his two friends had just Disapparated for a moment before turning toward Draco.

"What about you?" he asked slowly. "How did you come to be here?"

Draco didn't answer for a moment; he looked away, an unreadable expression on his face. Then he said, "I just followed you to that alley. I arrived just in time to see you being attacked with what looked like a large stick." He shuddered at the violent memory. Then a dark expression clouded his features. "Now that I think about it, she did seem to be expecting someone else to come. The moment you fell to the ground, she spun around and placed me under a full-body bind. Then she Apparated us all here and tied us up."

"At least she didn't do anything worse to you," Harry said after a moment, feeling grateful that no one was gravely injured. He knelt down to pick up the crying baby. The Gryffindor bundled the robes around her before looking at the blond. "Are you up to Apparating right now?"

"I think so," was the reply. Harry went over to stand next to him and placed a hand on the other boy's arm. "Ready?" the Slytherin asked.

"Ready."

There was a second _pop _and the three of them were gone.

- - -

"Why does his office have to be on the seventh floor?" Draco panted as they raced along the corridor that led to said office. "Wouldn't it make sense to have it on the first so everyone has an easy access to it?"

"Yeah, it would," Harry replied as he hurried in Draco's wake. He was going fast enough to keep up while at the same time making sure he wasn't jostling the baby too much. Even though she was previously the enemy, this was still an innocent child and shouldn't be injured in any way.

When they reached the gargoyle, they paused to catch their breaths. Draco then said the password, and the two boys went up the stairs.

"Come in," the headmaster said after the Slytherin knocked on the door. He opened it and they entered the circular office.

"To what do I owe this pleasant vis--?" Dumbledore began with a smile. But then he caught sight of Harry's face and the bundle in his arms, and his smile faltered. "What is this? What happened?" He now sounded serious and worried.

"It's a long story, Professor," Draco mumbled as he and Harry took seats in front of the desk. "It all started when..." He then launched into the story about how he overheard the Slytherins in the common room, how he told Harry while in Hogsmeade, and all that happened afterwards, including his father's plan. Dumbledore remained silent throughout the whole thing, but his silver eyebrows slowly came together as he contemplated what he was being informed about.

"So you mean to tell me," he started after the Slytherin trailed off into silence, "that Harry wandered off, alone, when he knew that there was a large possibility of there being danger?" Harry looked away at this but mumbled an affirmative all the same. "I am disappointed in you, Harry. I expected you to think more rationally when it came to something like this. I am just glad that you escaped with your life."

"I'm sorry, sir," the boy replied. "I just wanted to follow Ron so he could lead me to Hermione. I wasn't sure if anything had happened to her because she wasn't with him when he came to see me." Harry then looked away from Dumbledore's scrutinizing gaze and shifted in his seat, readjusting his arms around the now slumbering infant.

"And this child," the headmaster began again, leaving Harry's daft choice to be forgotten. "She is Blaise Zabini's mother?" He received two nods in reply. "This must have been the work of two or more combined _Decreso Aetas _charms, seeing as how this is a great age reduction."

"It seemed like one of the best choices of defense at the time, professor," Harry muttered. "If the spell is the same for everyone as it was for me, then there is a possibility that she may remember terrible things from her past, even though she is very young at the moment. To turn out the way she did, there had to have been some things that she'd rather not remember. All the same, it's better than what she deserves." A dark expression crossed over his face.

"Yes, well, someone will still have to take care of her seeing as how she's only an infant right now," Dumbledore replied. "Someone from the Ministry will surely be able to take on the job. I will look into that immediately. And after she is back to normal, she can be taken to Azkaban for her actions today. I will also have to see to those other Slytherins. They played a hand in this, too."

"Thank you, professor," Harry said, his voice grateful. He stood up, walked over to the professor, and handed him the child. Dumbledore nodded and motioned for their dismissal. The two boys then left the office and began making their way toward the hospital wing in silence.

- - -

"This room is really nice. I think I could really come to like being here."

Harry was standing on the bridge in the Room of Seasons, taking in the atmosphere of the room. "The last time I was in here I didn't really notice that much about it." The smile on his face faltered for a bit at that memory, but he was able to keep it in place. He turned to look at Draco, who was leaning against a nearby tree. "How did you find out about it?"

"Granger found something about it in a book," Draco replied. "And this isn't what it looks like all the time. Watch." He took out his wand. "_Frigus!_"He had to hold back a grin as Harry yelped, much like he did the last time this spell was cast.

"Draco! You could have warned me!" the Gryffindor exclaimed. "It's bloody cold in here. And...is that actual snow?" He was eyeing the flakes that were dancing in front of him and leaving a slight dusting on the grass.

"Well, it is called the Room of Seasons for a reason, you know," Draco replied. Harry made a face at the other boy's sarcasm.

"I think I realize that now," he said with a small smile as he went to stand by the other boy. He continued looking around as he pulled his robes tighter around himself, the smile slowly sliding off his face. "I'm glad everything is back to normal now," he said after a brief moment of silence. "Well, as normal as it can be, anyway." He scuffed the toe of his shoe in the thin layer of snow. "At least everyone didn't suffer because of my stupidity. Ron was finally released from the hospital wing a couple hours ago. There were no remnants of the Imperius Curse left on him." He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Harry," Draco cut in, not sure whether the other boy would continue his rambling or not, "as much as it may pain me to admit this out loud, you are not stupid." He managed to get a weak smile out of the Gryffindor. "You just made a mistake, which happens to everyone."

"But one at such a magnitude? That's hard to believe."

"But you are alive, and that counts for something," Draco replied. "Although you could have gone without this." He reached up and traced a finger against the very faint scar that ran across Harry's face. "Just what you need, right?" He managed a faint laugh.

"Madam Pomfrey was able to heal my injuries very well. And she said that if I continue taking dittany for the next couple of days, there should be no scarring left, and that I can be very thankful for," Harry mumbled. "I don't want any more scars. One is enough."

"You can say that again," Draco said. He shifted his gaze toward the open wall; the sky outside was steadily darkening. He tried to ignore the pressure he began feeling in his chest, but the harder he tried, the more intense it became. He soon wasn't able stand it any longer.

"I just can't believe what my fa-- what that man did," he spat. The Slytherin covered his face with his hands. "Who would do such a thing? I can understand that he would be furious about what I did, but what he did was as low as it could get. To think that I thought he may have cared somewhat about me, but no. He used his own wife and led me to believe that she was dead, just so he could lead me into some kind of trap. Well, it didn't work. Not fully, anyway. I'm still breathing, aren't I? He can just rot in hell for all I care. And all I can say right now is that I'm glad that he didn't find out about you being under that spell. Things could have been a lot worse."

Harry stood there, keeping quiet throughout Draco's rant. He understood that the other boy needed to get this off of his chest.

"I just wish I realized this plot sooner. I should have noticed that the letter was too vague. It just caught me off guard." He took a shuddering breath before moving his hands away from his face. Harry was pleased to see that he looked a lot less tense. "I just hope she's okay."

"She is," Harry said forcefully. "If Ron is no longer under the Imperius Curse, she shouldn't be either. She will write to you soon enough. And to put things in an even better light, those Slytherins are in a lot of trouble. I heard that they're going to be charged for what they did when they're all of age, but their sentences won't be as great as hers. And Blaise was none too pleased about his mother's condition. He's not able to do anything, though, because he and the others are being watched very closely now. Better yet, they don't know that you're behind it." Draco eyed him for a moment, the other boy's confidence and glee about the other Slytherins' misfortune taking a hold of him. _It's no less than what they deserve_, he thought. He began to feel a lot better.

"You know, if this was only the beginning of the year, I'd hate to think what the rest would be like," the blonde said after a moment.

"Yeah," Harry replied with a small chuckle. "Hermione is already harping about our N.E.W.Ts. She's going to drive Ron and I crazy come December."

"Well, are you sure that's really possible?" Draco said with a smirk. "I mean, you're already crazy. I'll have to warn her not to addle your brain any more than it already is." Draco laughed at his own comment; however, he paid dearly for his moment of inattentiveness. He soon let out a yelp of surprise.

"What was that for?" he exclaimed. He whirled around to face Harry, who was brushing snow off of his hand. There was a playfulness in his emerald eyes that hadn't been there for quite some time. Draco batted at the neckline of his robes, trying to rid himself of the bitter coldness he felt against his skin. He grumbled in annoyance. "You'll pay for that, Potter." Draco picked up a handful of snow and threw it at Harry. The other boy retaliated. This continued back and forth until the Slytherin flew toward the other boy, sending them to the ground in a heap of tangled robes and limbs.

"Oh, before I forget, there's one more thing you may want to watch out for while you're in this room, besides the change in weather," Draco muttered as he brushed some snow out of Harry's dark hair.

"And what would that be?" the Gryffindor questioned, eyeing the pale blonde.

"There's a group of barmy fairies that live in here, and I think they've taken quite a liking to you," Draco replied with a slight smile.

"Oh," Harry said. Then a sly grin spread over his face. "Well, that's just too bad isn't it?"

"What's too bad?"

"Well, I'm already taken, aren't I?"

The blonde looked surprised at the bluntness of the statement for the briefest of moments, but then he laughed and leaned down.

As Draco brushed his lips against those of the boy beneath him, he could have sworn he heard tinkling laughter and the rustle of branches.

_Fin_.

- - -

Wow. Almost 3 years that I've stuck with this, and now it's done. And to think, if I hadn't stayed home from school that one day, this wouldn't have been started. Blah.

I would greatly appreciate everyone's feedback on this fic. I'm sad that it's actually finished now, though. My first fic, and it's complete. I thank all those that stayed with me and left great reviews along the way.

Anyway, if anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to send me a message. I did my best to answer everything in this chapter, but I may have forgotten some details.

And I must say -- This is a huge burden that is off my shoulders. Now I'm free to plan out my new long-shot without having to worry about this one. Heh.

Thanks again, everyone.

Much love,

Haunted Emerald Depths


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